


Private Lives

by Hfflanders



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Severus Snape - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-22 09:23:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 51,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20871896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hfflanders/pseuds/Hfflanders
Summary: Severus Snape has left the Wizarding world in search of a simpler life. He has spent three years traveling the world in an effort to keep his identity safe from those seeking to make him a hero. He settles in a small community in New York where he meets an intriguing Muggle woman.Life is easy, but is it ever all that it seems? Who is this Muggle woman? What secrets does she have? Who is searching for her? Will she be able to keep his identity safe under fire? Only time will tell.





	1. Welcome Home

Set three years after the war, circa 2001. Snape has survived and spent the past several years traveling, flying under the radar, and selling potions to get by. No one except Minerva knows that he has survived, and he likes it that way. He decides to settle in the Muggle world where he is least likely to be bothered. But really, is anything that simple? 

Introduction of an original character and post war exploration of Severus Snape. Feel free to comment and share! Point of view changes will be noted at the beginning of the chapter. 

—————————

Grace

"God damn it Wilfred! Those are the second pair of sandals this week!" Grace Jennings grumbled in frustration at her ash grey French bulldog Sir Wilfred. 

He looked up at her innocently, as if he didn't know what he did despite the mangled mess of cheap plastic sitting in front of him. She rubbed her temple, unable to stay mad at her faithful companion for too long. Wilfred was barely a year old, and still very much a playful puppy. 

She threw the sandals in the garbage and walked out to her front porch with the frozen pizza she had just pulled from her oven. There were boxes littering the floor, packing peanuts cluttering the corners, and no cooking utensils to be found. It was early spring and still slightly chilly as she sat on the end of her creaky porch swing, gazing out into the wide expanse of grass in front of her new home. 

She lit the bergamot and vetiver scented soy candle on the small wooden table to relax her nerves, along with a generous glass of white wine. She noticed the "for sale" sign was missing from the lawn of the storybook style cottage beside hers. 

Their two houses were the smallest and most secluded on the fifteen acre shared lot in the gated community where she had relocated to in the mountains of New York State. An hour travel from Manhattan was simple enough for her once weekly meeting at her computer security company that she founded during her last semester of her master thesis. 

An early investment into internet security and its rise to necessity in the American culture had propelled her quickly into the world of business and delegation. She ran a no nonsense battalion of cyber security agents, recently, only the best recruits from MIT and Caltech were accepted. 

All worked remotely but made the monthly trek to Manhattan for a debriefing and strategy for the upcoming month. She tried to make herself scarce and work as remotely as possible. It was easier to be formidable behind an email name rather than in person. It was easy to be nearly invisible when it was your job to make things disappear without a trace. That was how she liked it. 

She glanced over a few minutes later and noticed a tall man with lanky shoulder length black hair sitting in a porch rocker with a book in hand. Their homes were the closest of any in the gated community, which was probably why they were being sold at such a low rate. A hundred yard stone pathway connected their yards through a low thicket of bushes. He wore a dark navy turtleneck and grey corduroy slacks along with shiny black dress shoes, which were currently propped on a small ottoman. He definitely looked like he belonged. 

"Hello!" she called out tentatively, hoping not to make a fool of herself. She hadn't met any of the other neighbors yet, and assumed that it wasn't high on anyone's list to be friendly and acquainted. 

He glanced up calmly, giving her a nod. 

She held up a slice of greasy pizza and asked cheerfully "Want to share some dinner?" 

He smirked, tossed around the idea, and put his book down. He sauntered over and took in the view from her porch before questioning her in an accented baritone 

"Are you in the habit of asking strangers onto your porch for dinner? That could be very risky..." 

She raised her eyebrow, noticing how dark his eyes were: like spilled ink. He smiled slightly, showing that he was joking with her, and not threatening. His hands were casually placed in his lap, but his legs were tense as if he could flee at any moment. 

"Not generally, you're the first. But I figure neighbors should be nice, right? Take a seat" she quipped back, holding up a slice of pepperoni pizza to her mouth with a napkin underneath. 

He sat down carefully at the other end of the sage green porch swing, the wood creaking beneath him. She extended her right hand in greeting 

"I'm Grace Jennings. Who are you?" 

He gripped her hand tightly and replied "Nice to meet you Miss Jennings. I am Alastair Prince"


	2. Porch Pleasantries

Grace

"Shut up, that's not your real name" Grace snorted as she let go of his hand. 

"Excuse me?" he retorted, definitely insulted at her impropriety.

"Alastair Prince?! That sounds like something out of a trashy romance novel. And you paused before you said it. Come on, what's your real name?" she pressed further, a knowing smirk plastering her face. 

"That is my real name. Would you like to see identification?" he asked drily.

"As a matter of fact...put up or shut up" she responded, holding out her palm in expectation. 

He rolled his eyes, pulling out his wallet and handing her his drivers license. She looked at it intently, studying his dark hair, sharp jawline and unrelenting eyes. There it was, in plain writing "Alastair Prince. Age: 42. Eyes: brown. Hair: black. Height: 6"2. Weight: 200." 

"Well I'll be damned. I still don't fully believe you. Sorry, for now" she apologized, handing back the card. 

"I suppose it would be difficult to conjure such a rare name when ones own name is so common" he retorted, eyebrow cranked up high. 

Her mouth opened in surprise at his acerbity but then laughed at the raw honesty. 

"There's nothing wrong with being a little common" she winked at him, passing him a slice of pizza on a napkin.

"Have you poisoned it?" he muttered smartly before taking a bite. 

"I suppose you'll find out soon enough, won't you?" she answered back flatly, not worried about performing the polite social dance with him. He seemed not to care and that was refreshing. 

The door to her house popped open and out came Wilfred, pink lace underwear around his neck and carrying a singular white tennis shoe proudly in his mouth. 

"God damn it Wilfred! What is your deal?!" she raised her voice slightly in frustration as she snatched the underwear and the thankfully still intact shoe from his smug face. 

Alastair laughed deeply, a grin crossing his pale face. He reached out his hand and Wilfred hopped over to sniff it and jumped up happily into his lap. She stared dumbfounded at the pair of them. 

"Wilfred hates people...This is unprecedented" she divulged to him, shoe and panties firmly held in her lap. 

Alastair offered a small smile while scratching behind Wilfred's perky pointed ear 

"Dogs are good judges of character, or so I've heard. I've never owned one."

"If that adorable asshole keeps eating my shoes you can have him!" she joked halfheartedly, offering the dog a piece of pepperoni which he greedily inhaled. 

"He probably doesn't like being insulted for his lifestyle choices...Have you always lived around here?" he asked politely, catching her off guard from their previous repertoire. 

"No, I moved here from another state. Still getting unpacked because I work all day, so it's hard to motivate myself at night" she decided to give up a little information to him as an act of good faith. 

He nodded knowingly

“Relocating is a specific kind of punishment." 

"Are you English?" she guessed, noting his refined accent. 

"Originally, but I've since been around the world" he drawled, rather bored. 

"With work?" she tried to dig for a little information on her new neighbor. 

"Nice try. You should just ask if you would like to know my occupation Miss Jennings" he replied slyly.

She rolled her eyes

“Miss Jennings? Are we in school? I'm just Grace. If we are shirking all societal niceties then fine. What do you do?" 

He tucked his dark fine hair behind his ear before he answered

"I'm a botanist and chemist. I needed a place where I could build a large greenhouse and laboratory." 

She nodded, her face giving away little

“Are those fancy terms for high end drug dealer? I'm not judging, I just want to know what I'm dealing with here" 

He glowered, his features darkening like a stormy sky

“Absolutely not. That would be a disgrace to my years of study and skill set!" 

She held up her hands as a sign of truce

“Alright, relax." 

He settled back into his seat for more of this awkward conversation

“Your turn then." 

She mirrored his body language, leaned back into the bench, legs spread at an angle, hands clasped as she told him

“I work with computers." 

He didn't appear to recognize what she meant, but she didn't want to push the matter any further. Maybe he was anti technology? Maybe he just didn't care. She was enjoying herself and the faux bickering that was passing between them. The conversation had a pulse and it was driving her along. 

"I suppose I am responsible for feeding you tomorrow night then?" he complained a few moments later as he stood up. 

She made sure he saw her roll her eyes and shrug her shoulders

“If you want. It will give you plenty of time to figure out an untraceable poison." 

He smirked

“It wouldn't take me that long Grace. Come over tomorrow at six." 

She watched as he glided back to his porch, slipping into his house. The lights came on one by one in the rooms as he was passing through them. She sat back and blew out a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding. This was going to be interesting.


	3. Dinner With the Unknown

Severus

Blood was gushing out of his neck, his throat squeezing tighter and tighter as he tried to breathe. His heart pounding hard in his chest, pulsing along with warm spurts covering his hands. The world was spinning and turning dark. 

He sat up straight in bed, gasping for breath, his hands grasping around his neck only to find a raised scar. He willed his heart to slow down, annoyed that the nightmares still continued three years later, nightly like clockwork. He didn't deserve to be alive, but here he was. He had taken multiple doses of blood replenishing potion and managed to summon his last bout of energy to apparate to a hospital that he remembered in the Muggle world near his family estate in Cokeworth. 

He was immediately rushed in and operated on, coming out of surgery hours later with no identification. He faked memory loss, playing ignorant and pleasant until his strength was enough so he could apparate elsewhere. He had only one person that he wished to apologize to: Minerva McGonagall. 

He apparated into her home garden days later in borrowed clothes that didn't fit his aesthetic. Her backdoor had flown open, wand at the ready. He held his hands up in surrender, still not fully steady on his feet. 

"I am so sorry" he had immediately blabbered, the shame rising hot and sure into his face. 

She lowered her wand, confusion and sadness coloring her expression. 

"You were on our side the whole time..." she had murmured, small hand resting on his shoulder. 

"I am so sorry...I am a coward for leaving..." he admitted, words stricken. 

"No Severus. You weren't. You were doing what you had to. You saved Harry. Then he saved us. And now everyone thinks you're dead. What shall we do with that?" she assured him. 

"Don't let anyone know" he felt a pang of deja vu as he had said the same thing to Dumbledore all those years ago. 

"Severus...You are a hero" she murmured, expression conflicted. 

"I know I don't deserve for you to hold my secrets Minerva. But please. It's better off if no one knows I'm alive" he begged, wanting the dark smudge that was his life erased from everything. 

"You'll be given accolades, your name will be a bright star for the wizarding world to look up to" she tried to convince him to stay. 

She had no idea that her reasoning to get him to stay was exactly why he wanted to leave. He didn't want notoriety or fame. He just wanted peace. He was firm in his desire to leave but was overwhelmed with her spirit of helpfulness. She gave him a room to recuperate in, and the two began the slow process of reconciliation. 

He filled out the necessary paperwork for her to sell his home, post dated it before his disappearance; not that anyone cared that much in the wake of the fall of the dark lord and filed away the money. She retrieved his savings from Gringotts and brought it to him. 

In exchange she convinced him to remain "missing" rather than have him declared officially dead. She made him promise to keep her updated of his whereabouts, they were friends after all. Six months of being holed up in Minerva's home, despite its luxury and privacy, had proven to drive him a bit stir crazy.

He took off on a trip of an unknown destination. He sold potions as he went, making a nice living as a freelance master. He bottled them under the name Alastair Prince, which he had figured was far enough from his name that no one would question it. He daily cast an illusionment charm on his face so that while anyone looked they would see him clearly, but not recognize him and their memories would be blurred. 

The Muggles believed him to be some sort of doctor or chemist and were willing to pay insane amounts of money for his home brews. 

He decided to give America a chance. The only thing he knew about America was Ilvermorny and the magical community. He made his way there but heard a group of women chatting about New York City and how easy it is to disappear there. However, once he was there, he found that he was overstimulated by all of the people and their continuous thought streams. 

After a few months of researching, he found Tuxedo Park in the home listings. It boasted privacy, lots of room, and security. His home that he bought was large enough to brew in, the lot was expansive, and no one would dare venture the mile long driveway back to the alcove where the cottage sat. 

He didn't plan on having a chatty neighbor, but he wasn't opposed to playing nice. He had refrained from reading her mind, something about it felt intrusive and out of bounds. Perhaps if it came to that, he would give in tonight at their dinner. 

He grabbed his wand from the bedside table, shuffling down to the kitchen to make a pot of tea and eat breakfast before starting his brewing for the day.   
——————-

Knock knock 

He walked to the heavy oak door, pulling it open to reveal his new neighbor Grace. She was slight of figure, with round eyes that promised innocence but spoke knowledge. He glanced down and saw Wilfred standing beside her, bug eyes annoyed, a black t-shirt encasing his squat and sausage like body. 

"You brought the vandal?" he questioned smoothly, moving aside to let her pass. 

She rolled her eyes and explained exasperatedly, walking past while unclipping his leash 

"I only have three pairs of underwear left and I'm not going anywhere for four more days. He cannot be left alone to destroy." 

She walked around casually, fingers gliding across the ordinary furniture, the light birch book cases mostly for functionality and not style. This part of the house wasn't where he felt the need to decorate. It was for appearances. And, if she made it past his tests, she could see the more lived in areas. 

"I hope you don't kill me. I don't usually go into people's houses...especially..." she chirped good naturedly before cutting herself off. 

"Especially, what?" he asked, not willing to let it go and refusing to forego social niceties.

"Especially since you're a little creepy" she stated bluntly, not bothering to cushion her words. 

Instead of getting angry, he chuckled. A deep baritone vibration. 

"I suppose you're right, I can give off a rather...offending presence" he admitted, still unable to suppress his sarcastic undertones.

"Mildly" she smiled wide, handing him a bottle of chilled Pinot Grigio that she pulled out of her small fabric handbag. 

"Come" he offered, taking the bottle from her, rigidly turning about face and gliding away. 

"Were you a teacher or something?" she asked behind him, her perfume of roses and ylang ylang tickling his nose. 

"I don't believe we know each other well enough for that information" he answered, hoping that the teasing in his tone was obvious. 

"That's a fairly common introductory question, name, age, occupation. You just walk like you're about to give someone a detention...Or smack them with something. Have you been out of circulation, living on the fringe?" she kept pushing in a lighthearted manner that set him on edge. 

She had some spot on judgments about his life and he didn't think that was safe. She could uncover a whole host of things that would put them both in a precarious situation. Or, she could be a witch and know exactly who he was and what he had done. She could be playing him for a fool. The dog could be an Animagus searching out his possessions for any hint of his identity. But there was no way to find that out. It was a standoff of silence. 

"What are you? A spy?" he asked totally deadpan. 

She blinked, and replied in similar tone

“I plead the fifth." 

He knitted his eyebrows together, that was an odd turn of phrase. It felt distinctly American, like a slang. She must have sensed his confusion because she continued 

"I have a right not to criminally implicate myself during a line of questioning." 

He offered a small smile as he quipped back

“But doesn't that implicate you just by invoking it?" 

She nodded knowingly 

"Hence the conundrum." 

He stifled the impulse to simply summon two glasses to them. He walked the ten feet to his dark walnut stained cabinets with the clear glass panels and pulled out two charcoal grey crystal wine glasses with a green tint around the base. He was still proud to be a Slytherin.

He filled the glasses with the champagne colored wine and handed one to her, tilting it slightly in cheers 

"Holy shit, these are like chalices for giants" she exclaimed as she picked up her glass. 

He laughed, they were goblin crystal, capable of withstanding charms and hexes; very nearly unbreakable...And very heavy. How confused she would be if she knew that giants were real. 

"I only hope you become more eloquent as the alcohol seeps in" he joked, showing her to the corner of a small sturdy table for two beside his kitchen. 

The kitchen spilled out into the dining room in an open floor plan arrangement. He didn't plan on often having guests so a small table and chairs of matching walnut sufficed rather nicely. While living from place to place he hadn't much need for furniture or anything that would tie him to a place. However, now he was trying to put down roots and this seemed to be a small, manageable start. 

"Oh please, I'm a damn delight and you know it" she winked hyperbolically, savoring another sip of wine. 

"If that is what you must think" he replied smoothly, pulling plates full of food out of the oven. 

He didn't cook these the Muggle way, it was tedious. He inhaled the inviting scent of salmon with lemon and dill, the roasted garlic asparagus, and kale salad with cranberry vinaigrette. This was definitely better than pizza. 

"You made a whole dinner? On real goddamn plates? I see your game Alastair, a real one upper" she joked sarcastically as she sat herself at the table. 

He smirked, sitting the plates down and handing her silverware 

"And silverware, because I truly am a great one upsman" he joked back, testing out his sense of humor. 

"Fancy" she rolled her eyes as she examined the scrolling lines on the end of each utensil. The Snape family crest. She delicately ran her fingers over the lines. He paused to wonder why she was paying such close attention. 

They passed a few moments in silence until the clip clap of tiny toenails came prancing across the floor. They looked up to see Wilfred carrying a pair of white underwear in his mouth. 

"Oh my god" she whispered in humiliation, her hands covering her mouth and cheeks flushing pink. 

Wilfred walked over and proudly dropped them in his lap and sat down. He rolled them around in his hands, not a chew mark on them. 

"Not one shred missing" he mentioned to her, stuffing them into his back pocket. 

She barely met his eyes as she smiled and said 

"That's either a show of massive respect, or massive disgust..." 

He smiled back, feeling less awkward as he admitted

“Those can go hand in hand." 

She stared at him, brazenly staring into his face, full frontal. He wasn't used to that. People flinched around him, cast their eyes down, or ignored him all together. She wasn't afraid. She was going to be dangerous. But he was used to living in danger.

"You have secrets" she stated neutrally, pushing away her empty plate. 

"Yes. Everyone does" he threw back. 

"Do you work from home?" she asked him curiously. 

He paused before answering her new line of questioning "Yes, why?" 

"Lunch might be more interesting with you once in a while" she said carefully.

He noticed her purposely casual tone and subtle tap of her toe. She was nervous. Why was she being so friendly? Did she think she had to keep up this kind neighbor act because she had done it once before? 

He had learned over the years how to read people but he decided he would rather play safe than sorry when it came to her intentions. He easily penetrated her mind because she had no defenses. The mind wouldn't need to be defended if there was supposedly nothing to defend against. 

"Don't look too eager, you'll scare him off. But make sure he knows you're interested. Be polite but maybe he thinks that will mean you're just humoring him. I'm not doing that at all. He might think you're up to something. Oh god, smile you idiot..." 

He smiled at her abrasive inner ramblings. It sounded like something from inside his own mind. 

"Certainly. How about tomorrow? You can improve on your hospitality, perhaps with some adequate cutlery" he snarked at her, standing up, his arm pointed towards the large archway leading to the front door. 

She scoffed as she took Wilfred's leash from the coat hook and clipped him securely. 

"You'll take what you get damn it" she threatened, eyebrow hitched high. 

He was a bit taken aback by how upfront she was in her speech. Then again, no one in the Muggle world owed him anything. He had no reputation of honor or fear here. He was just a normal man, and it unnerved him. How should he behave? Would he continue in the venomous trail that he had blazed? Requiring respect or else? Or would he choose to etch out a new path, somehow still remaining true to his inner need for superiority while making friendships? Time would tell and he supposed this was a feasible step he could take to begin. 

"You're very brazen you know" he murmured, voice purposely low to make her lean closer. 

She didn't balk but instead answered with a wink "I'm a treasure. Noon tomorrow, don't be late. I know where you live." 

Wilfred walked out beside her with a glance back at him almost as if to say that he had won the battle. 

He laughed at the small little woman and her larger than life personality. He would find out who she was, but what would happen if she did the same to him?


	4. Show and Tell

Grace

"Set up the firewall. Then encrypt the information that we're storing. People are using our company for the security, it needs to be top notch Adrien. You're my best programmer, don't fuck it up" Grace gave a semi motivational, half threatening speech to her top programmer who was just now embarking on a new project for a client who needed to remain under the radar. 

She knew that some of the clients that she took on partook in shady business dealings. She didn't take on anything that was obviously illegal, she had a reputation to uphold. She wanted to be discreet, using the law sometimes as a suggestion. Nothing overtly wrong. She was rising up in the ranks of be security business and she had to keep a pristine reputation. Also, she was a woman. She had to run a tight ship and be a ball buster. Any sign of weakness and she would be done. 

Adrien was complaining that he would have to stay late, he had plans. The project for the NSA was a big deal and her first major government contract. Being a boss was all about when to crack the whip and when to offer sympathy. When to be tough and when to pander. This was a crack the whip situation. 

She cut him off and asked curtly 

"Adrien, do you still want a job in the morning? Or would you like to have the ability for limitless plans? This is our first big contract and I need your A-game. If you can't do it, then get off the phone and let me. Or I can get Sheridan to do it."

He stammered his apology and hung up, promising to make the encryption as strong as possible and as quickly as possible. 

She took a deep breath and began to get the meal ready for lunch with Alastair. It would be her third consecutive day having a meal with him and that had to be some kind of record. She didn't like many people, it was entirely possible for her to spend a week without speaking to anyone except work colleagues. 

She had a best friend named Candace, and she lived in Japan. She was a business tycoon, listed as the fifth person on Forbes 30 under 30 list. She was a real estate developer and her own personal hype woman. She could sell a cardboard box to a millionaire. They spoke via email a few times a week and on the phone sometimes when peak hours were over. Friendship could get expensive. 

Wilfred settled his butt on her foot as she slapped down some plain American cheese on buttered bread in a sizzling skillet. She stirred the tomato soup with her other hand and heard the shrill buzz of the doorbell. She yelled for him to come in, hoping that he could hear her. A few seconds later the floorboards creaked, announcing his presence in her living room. 

"Come on in, I'm in the kitchen" she called out, flipping the sandwich with her left hand. 

"You're not a very safe person. How did you know that was me?" he jabbed lightheartedly at her, setting down a bowl of fruit salad on her marbled grey countertop. 

"What can I say, I like to live dangerously" she replied sarcastically, ladling the steaming soup into white rectangular bowls. 

"A toasted cheese sandwich? How...simple" he teased, stomach grumbling after a long morning of picking herbs in the forest. 

She gave him a shove with her free hand defensively answering 

"Its an American classic! It's not my fault you can't appreciate it" 

He smiled at her brashness. She handed him his plate with the bowl on top and motioned for him to follow her. They sat at her small IKEA table in silence for a few moments. She studied his sharp features, the angle of his nose, and the soft curve of his lips. 

He was incredibly attractive, in an unconventional sense. His forest green turtleneck was high against his neck, it was an unusual wardrobe choice for late spring. He exuded a calm confidence that some could misjudge as arrogance. Or, perhaps it was a bit of arrogance but if it was warranted then she could understand. He seemed highly intelligent and witty. 

"Do you have something to say?" he questioned, not looking up from his plate. 

"I think you're fairly attractive. But in an unusual way" she decided to be honest since she had been caught staring. 

He lifted his eyes to hers, painstakingly neutral but she easily saw the layer of confusion just below the surface. It was the face of someone who had never been told they were handsome, someone who had been hurt or pushed aside. 

She understood that. 

"How generous of you to critique my physical appearance" he growled drily, wiping the crumbs off his fingers. 

"You asked. I told" she retorted coyly, dipping her sandwich into soup and chewing on silence. 

"You always say exactly what crosses your mind?" he asked a bit nervously, as if the very idea set him on edge. 

"No. Just what I deem important. That seemed important" she murmured quietly, not wanting it to come across as pity. 

She had a million thoughts, continuous flow of information and gauging of situations. Hair constantly raised on her neck, always vigilant, never unaware of her surroundings. Alastair was different, and he could hold a threat but everyone had that ability. To be surrounded by people who's threats aligned together meant safety. He could be safe. 

"What's that around your neck?" he asked curiously, completely ignoring her comment and moving on. 

She grabbed hold of the smooth black stone with the white hieroglyph engraved on it. Where it came from, she didn't know. It was in her possessions since she was a toddler. She remembered holding it in her hands every night as a child when she was frightened and it was probably a placebo effect, but she imagined it made her calmer. 

She lived in a different home every few months, growing up as a ward of the state. She closed her eyes, the few memories flashing through her mind: a boat on a large river, streets with dirt and crumbling rocks, high pitched shrieks and cursing in a language she didn't understand, and a tight darkness. 

"I really don't know. I had it in my box of stuff that the state gave me. I don't have parents, or family. I just had this and a few other possessions to tell me who I am and where I come from" she explained, the words spilling out with no regard to her privacy. 

Shock covered his face before he could contain it, eyes downcast as he thought about his reaction 

"I didn't realize..." 

She shrugged her shoulders, it didn't bother her anymore. It was a scar. Ugly to look at but not painful. She walked over to her built in bookshelf and picked up a mid sized cedar box with a decorative crest on the front. She quickly turned the combination lock on it away from his line of sight. The hinges creaked slightly when she opened it to reveal a midnight blue velvet interior with various knick knacks throughout. 

She held up a circular silver dollar sized necklace with the same crest as the top of the box: two identical scrolling scripts on either side of a tree with roots. It was a favorite of hers, so much so that she never wore it for fear of losing it. A long thin piece of ebony wood with a detailed handle and the same crest in a plain black box. A silver ring with an emerald the size of a pea and snake insignias on either side. A thin gold bracelet. And two tiny socks with the letter L hand knitted into it. 

Looking up she saw Severus looking intently at the contents, his eyes not leaving the long piece of wood. It was rather strange to her as well. 

"What do you make of that?" she probed genially, pushing it towards him and awaiting his response.


	5. Box of Surprises

Severus 

Sitting in that box was a ring from the Slytherin house, a necklace that could possibly open and display magical information, a wand with a family crest, a gold bracelet that could be anything, and a pair of baby socks. The stone hanging from the necklace was how the students at the African school of magic, Uagadou, were informed of their acceptance.

If she knew what these items truly meant, she wouldn't have shown him. Or, he supposed, she could know exactly what they mean and think it safe to show to a presumed Muggle. Or, thirdly, she could know their significance and was trying to prove to him the power of her magical ties. Either way, she had power and he couldn't let her know how knocked off guard he was. 

"What's that?" he asked innocently, pointing at the thin wand, knowing exactly what it was. 

She shrugged, picking it up and rolling it between her fingers. Not a spark. 

"I don't know. A piece of wood? It's weird to have a polished stick in your prized possessions isn't it?" she commented, thoroughly unimpressed. 

He wanted to tell her that she held one of the most powerful items in the world in her forest green painted fingertips. That held in the right hands that stick could defend lives and make beauty. But in the wrong hands, the exact opposite. 

"I used to pretend to make magic" she continued, laughing at a memory. 

He scrunched his eyebrows. Yes, Muggle children pretended to make magic. To them, it wasn't real. 

"How so?" he asked, not wanting to get near it and reveal his magical abilities. The wand was dormant, but it was strong. 

"Like this..." she picked it up and waved it about. Foolish wand waving. He hated that. 

"Abra cadabra!" she finished with gusto. 

He jumped out of the way, heart beating in a frenzy. Then he realized what she had actually said. Not the killing curse. A Muggle game. Not what he had used to kill his closest colleague. Not what the dark lord had used to murder thousands without a second thought. She was staring at him curiously, and perhaps a little scared. 

"Sorry...In another language that means something else" he tried to cover quickly for his indiscretion, hoping she would let it pass. 

She nodded, putting the wand back in its box. She had no magical abilities. It seemed a pity since it was obvious her family wanted her to know of their magical prowess. It was possible one was a port key but she wouldn't be able to access its power. Was she skipped over magically? Was she a squib? If the latter part, he could show her the magical world. But that may be cruel...To be shown something and not take part. But, didn't everyone deserve to know where they were from? 

"I wish I knew what it meant. Obviously it's a family insignia. It means something. They all tie together but I can't figure it out. There is nothing in the library or family databases that I can find. I hired a private investigator too. He can't find anything. None of my records survived a fire in the social services building. This is literally all I have to tell me who I am and I have no idea what any of it means. It drives me crazy" she admitted, her calm and cool demeanor cracking for an instant. 

"I could help..." he suggested, not sure if she would accept his offer. 

"With all of your massive secret contacts?" she joked, shutting the lid. 

He nodded and answered sincerely 

"Yes." 

"Why should I trust you" she asked bluntly, foot tapping quickly. 

"You have no reason. Either I help and you know, or I help and you don't. Or I don't help and we move on" he replied back just bluntly. Perhaps she would honor this tactic.

"Okay. But you don't get to take my stuff. Bring your people here" she accepted tentatively.

"That's fair. Would you like to see my green house? Show of good faith" he offered a small smile and what was hopefully a compromise. 

She looked down at his feet, the corners of her lips twitching up. Her shoulders went down, giving her a much more vulnerable disposition. Wide green eyes flicked up, long black eyelashes coated in mascara searched his, unflinchingly. It would be so easy to read her thoughts...Perhaps this was a matter of security. It would be okay in this circumstance...Or he could tell himself that. 

He was the king of rationalization. 

"He could be a psycho killer...You don't know. A green house is secluded. He could be sent by that guy that kept following me...Maybe not, that's crazy. You're losing it Grace, pull yourself together damn it. He's probably just a nice awkward guy...Nod your head or something, god" 

"Let's go to your greenhouse then. Don't make me out to be an episode of law and order" she joked lightly. He didn't understand the reference but shook his head in denial. 

She followed him out the door and across the shared backyard. The stinging drizzle brought him back to his senses and sobered him up to make a decision about whether or not to get Minerva involved. The significance of those items was weighing heavy on his mind. He had hoped to be clear of people and their baggage but of course it found him. 

She didn't ask for his help, she didn't particularly need it, but he had offered and rather willingly. Was he getting soft? Wanting to help this young woman, or did he feel bad for her? Not knowing who you are or where you come from, that had to be a special kind of suffering. 

The rain spotted glass of the greenhouse squeaked open and the magically enchanted lock recognized his touch. She didn't notice. He looked around at the vast multitude of plants from aloe to mandrake root. 

"Wow" she breathed out from beside him, her fingers gently brushing against his. 

"Would you like a tour?" he asked genially, not willing to pull away from the physical touch, however unintentional. 

She wrapped her elbow around his in an act of sudden peculiarity. He didn't acknowledge it rather he started the tour at the aloe plants. He gave their medicinal properties but didn't include how he used them in potions. He continued along the rows of flowers used for their pollen and petals, the supposed weeds called plantain, dandelions, valieran root, and dozens of other foliage that required intense cultivation. Luckily, he didn't have out his cauldrons full of bubbling potions, that would have been suspicious and not so easy to explain away. 

She listened intently as he explained the properties and uses and how to prepare them in such a way that they reached their full effectiveness. How each plant did something different and could be used in different potency and depending on the way it was prepared could be used in different potions for various ailments. 

"You sell these homeopathic remedies to people then?" she questioned as they neared the end of the greenhouse. 

"You don't believe in nature and it's power?" he remarked at the obvious condescension in her tone. 

"I don't know. It seems too easy" she shrugged her shoulders and looked up at him curiously. 

"It's far from easy. Come visit in a few days when I make a fresh batch, I'll show you the depth and precision it takes to prepare a potent medicine" he dared her, not willing to take derision from someone who knew nothing about his extensive career and skill. 

"Only if you promise to try and find out about my family" she stuck out her hand to him and he shook it firmly in agreement.


	6. Minerva’s Magic

Severus 

"What is all the rush about Severus?" Minerva asked calmly as she apparated into his living room two days later.

"The woman living next door has a box full of magical items. But, she doesn't know that they are, or at least that's how it seemed" he explained casually, hoping not to express any excess emotion. 

"Just a woman? How did you find out about these objects?" she inquired, voice alight with the same mischievousness as Albus. 

"Her name is Grace. We have been having meals together for a week now. I didn't intend on meeting anyone here, but she has inserted herself into my life as it would appear. I'm being cautious" he told her, adding in the last part hastily at seeing Minerva's concerned face. 

"Are you sure she is safe Severus? This could be a very big deal and if she isn't who she says, we could be facing a world of trouble. The ministry is cracking down in lieu of the war and future unrest. Show me the objects, I've brought the pensieve" she chattered on anxiously, handing him the bag which held the shrunken pensieve. 

He reached in and steadied the massive stone bowl on his table. Touching his wand to his temple he pulled out the recent memory and waited as Minerva watched. When she resurfaced her face was confused. 

"You say she doesn't know anything? You are certain that she's telling the truth? You've...made sure?" she pushed, wanting to know if he had read her mind. 

"Yes, and unless she is better than I at shielding thoughts, she's telling the truth. She also said something about a man following her...Perhaps they go hand in hand. I would like to find out if she has magical abilities at the least" he thought out loud. 

"I would like to meet her" Minerva stated, smoothing out her pleated skirt. 

"Perhaps you should change. She's a Muggle you know" he reminded her, smirking at her old fashioned dress. 

She rolled her eyes and transformed into modern black slacks and purple sweater. 

Wilfred met them halfway across the yard, tearing away from the house with a pair of bright yellow underwear in his mouth. 

"God dammit Wilfred! You get back here right now!" Grace shouted unceremoniously as she raced after Wilfred in her pink pajama shorts and tank top without noticing himself and Minerva. 

Wilfred skidded to a stop and hid behind his legs, tail wagging in victory. Grace slowed down, her eyes wide and cheeks flushed with embarrassment at realizing there was another person with him. Minerva didn't hide her smile. 

"Hi Ali! Well...I'm Grace, nice to meet you" she reached out her hand to Minerva, who shook it kindly. 

"Minerva. Pleasure to meet you dear" she told Grace, kneeling down and promptly scolding Wilfred who dropped the underwear.

"Do you and Ali have psychic dog powers? He listens to you better than me" Grace joked, completely oblivious to the fact that Minerva could actually speak to animals and even transform. 

Being an Animagus had its perks. 

"Authority comes with age I suppose" Minerva laughed off the suggestion and followed Grace to her home with Wilfred trotting dutifully beside her. It was a skill to brush off any hint of magical knowledge among muggles and thankfully it wasn't incredibly difficult. 

Muggles believed everything to be coincidence. 

"How long have you and Ali been friends?" Grace asked politely as they sat down to coffee and muffins. 

"Years and years. I taught him when he was a student and we remained colleagues throughout our work" Minerva replied carefully, unaware of what Severus had divulged to Grace. 

"Was he a good student?" Grace arched her eyebrow, hoping for some incriminating gossip. 

"Top of his class" Minerva answered honestly, winking over her mug.

"Did he brew stuff even back then?" Grace joked, unaware of how squarely she hit the target. 

Minerva turned to look at him, eyes searching his for how to answer. He gave a simple nod and continued sipping his coffee. 

"He was adept at our lessons so it doesn't surprise me that he has somehow managed to incorporate them into his life" Minerva responded smoothly. 

It was a little frightening to watch how easily she could lie. He had always thought she was a nervous liar but perhaps the war had changed that.

"Are you here to help figure out my things?" Grace switched subjects rapidly, sitting down her mug. 

Minerva nodded with a comforting smile. If one didn't know her power, the matronly air she put on could be quite an illusion. 

Grace walked over to the same shelf and brought the box over to the table. She opened it up and sat back, allowing Minerva to check every object. 

"How were you raised dear? If that's alright" Minerva asked softly, rolling the rock in her palm. 

Grace took a deep breath, a tinge of hesitation before answering

"In foster care or state run group homes. I don't remember ever having parents" 

Minerva nodded, that was the story with many students at Hogwarts and throughout the wizarding world. It grieved her heart to see someone lost and struggling to find their identity. Grace was brave but every person deserves to know where they came from; whether that be a good or bad place. 

"Do you remember anything?" she pressed, thinking maybe they could maybe pin down some kind of location. 

"I don't know...A lot of screaming. Flashes of green and red lights. Cobblestone streets and a boat. A different language but I don't recognize it, even now; it was almost a chant. A guy in a black trench coat and beret...Sometimes I swear I still see that guy but it's probably my mind playing tricks" Grace listed her memories slowly, thinking deeply. 

Minerva and Severus quickly looked at each other: the red and green lights were indicative of spells and the chant could be a dark curse. But they couldn't very well tell that to a non magical person. She wouldn't believe it anyway. The frequent sightings of the man however were suspicious. 

"I will try and figure out some backstory on these symbols Grace. I do believe I can help" Minerva assured her, working hard to maintain some decorum at the obvious use of magic in this woman's life but her lack of ability to recognize it. 

Grace smiled and gave her thanks, asking the two to let themselves out since she had to get ready for a meeting. 

Minerva piped up

"May I pet your dog for a moment? I miss my favorite dog so dearly..." 

Severus forced his face straight. What a stunning liar. 

Grace nodded, shaking her hand and disappearing upstairs. Severus took a look out as Minerva performed a spell search on the wand. The tell tale green light emanated from the tip. A protective charm came next. Then numerous defensive spells, very basic. A small child came into sight, light brown hair and frightened brown eyes. Grace. But she should have been old enough to remember, she looked at least six. A silencing charm was shouted out. Then nothing. 

"Revilio" Minerva whispered at the stone with the writing. 

The stone shone gold and a name appeared "Amalhe Botha" 

They breathed out a sigh of relief. Decades of ignorance and in seconds they had the name of Grace's mother; or at least someone close to her. But how to arrange it so she would believe they found out through Muggle channels? 

Minerva performed a quick spell on the insignia and nothing happened. The other items held no magical trace. But hopefully they would be able to find what happened to Amalhe Botha and subsequently to her partner. Feeling their time may be limited, the two locked the case, placed it on a high shelf and slipped out the door quietly.


	7. Found

Severus

Two months had passed since their group meeting. Minerva had promised to research around for the insignia on the items. He and Grace were both rather rough in their demeanors, always with an insult at hand. 

Her witty, razor sharp comebacks kept him at the ready since he was not one to be bested. Her laugh wasn't easily earned but when he managed to elicit one it was rolling and contagious. 

Their meals together had come to be something he looked forward to. It surprised him that he was able to enjoy someone's company since he had only ever wanted to be alone. But, he surmised, he hadn't been able to share any aspect of his life before; not that he was sharing the complete truth of his life to her.

That day they were sitting down to dinner, and the shrill doorbell cut through the air. She glanced at him, as if asking if he was expecting anyone. 

"I don't live here" he replied sarcastically, causing her to roll her eyes. 

He sat back in the corner, away from the prying eyes of whoever may be there, wand at the ready. She greeted the visitor and his heart dropped when he heard the familiar voices of Potter and Weasley. He wished he never had to hear those voices ever again. He had bared his soul in front of them and disappeared. That was on purpose. How had they found him? 

"Hello, we're looking for a friend. His name is Severus Snape, and he's gone missing. We got word that maybe he was around here" answered Potter kindly. 

He couldn't see Grace, but he could hear the suspicion in her voice

“How do you know your friend wants to be found? Why wouldn't he tell you where he was going?" 

Harry replied sincerely 

"We had a bit of a falling out, but he is being searched after by a lot of people in England" 

She was quiet for a moment, his heart pounding at whether she could recognize him by a photograph. Whether she would call him over to them. He hadn't bothered to put on a concealment charm around her, god that was stupid. He should have been more careful. 

"I'm sorry you lost your friend, but I haven't seen him. Maybe you should consider that he might not want to be found. What are your names?" she answered back cordially. 

"I'm Harry, and this is Ron" Potter said confidently. 

Severus' hands were sweating, wand put away. What should he do? Step out and expose his identity? Go back to England and take whatever was coming his way? Hide out? Run? 

His mind was reeling and for once he was stuck. Why would Potter and Weasley be searching for him? Weren't the memories that he gave Harry enough? Shameful, wretched, and soul sucking. He had to come searching for him? He couldn't just leave well enough alone and accept him dead like everyone else. 

"Good luck, I hope you find him soon" she answered sweetly, voice completely ignorant. 

He hoped Potter hadn't been reading up on Legilimency. But why would he? He never had much use for it, preferring to rely on some sort of asinine sense of intuition. 

The door clicked shut, the lock turned. Luckily the shades were all drawn in case the pair decided to case the house. He quickly cast a protective charm around them. His house was protected already and even together, the two wouldn't be able to break in should they choose to do so. 

Grace glided around the corner, face painstakingly neutral. His heart continued beating irrationally. She motioned to the table with her eyes, and he sat down immediately. 

Quiet fury. 

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice steady but dangerous. 

He glanced to the floor, thinking about how to explain things to her without giving away the wizarding world. 

"It's difficult to explain" he started, but she cut him off 

"No, Ali. It's not. Or maybe your name is Severus? That's a weird name. So, unless you want me to run after the detectives in training, you better tell me." 

He took a deep breath. It wouldn't sound believable but it would be the truth

"I worked as a special agent of sorts for a very dangerous man. And I also worked for a very good man. It was an underground world, not one that you'll read about or see in the news...For awhile it appeared as if I was evil, but after my work was done I disappeared. Then it was proven that I wasn't. I was always working for the good...I just want that part of my life over with, so I'm in hiding" 

She narrowed her darkened eyes, glistening like the edge of a blade. He rolled up his sleeve, showing his dark mark. It would be there forever. He didn't know why he did it. Perhaps it was to show validity but she wouldn't understand that. 

She tilted her head, reaching her slim fingers towards him, passing them over his skin. He drew in a breath and forced his arm to stay in place. She continued to stare at it, running her fingers over it as if trying to feel the edges. 

"I've seen this before...This tattoo. Someone showed it to me when I was a kid. He was so proud to show it to me, like it was supposed to mean something. What does it mean?" she asked, suddenly deflated and vulnerable, looking up into his eyes imploringly. 

He realized that she was being hunted. By dark wizards. She didn't know because she wasn't a witch. She had never been around that world. 

"There are a lot of different people in this world Grace. This mark is a calling card of sorts. It shows that we all belonged to the same man, the same boss. He's gone now, and the world is trying to rebuild. But his followers are still around, hidden in plain sight. When was the last time you saw his man?" he explained calmly but seriously, not wanting to scare her. 

Her fingers hadn't left his arm, gripping his wrists subconsciously 

"Right before I moved here. He followed me for weeks after I graduated from college and started my business. So, three years ago? The police could never find him, it's as if he was invisible. I moved in the middle of the night to this enclave, because it's so private. Is he dangerous?" 

He paused a moment too long, and she squeezed her eyes shut. 

"I don't know. But if you haven't seen him lately, that's good" he tried to assure her. 

"Are you a criminal?" she asked pointedly. 

"I'm a good man. I fought for the right side...I can leave and never come back if you want" he offered softly.

"Everyone thinks that. Even criminals think they're doing the right thing. How do I know you're telling the truth? How do I know that I can trust you? You haven't even told me your real name" she accused him frustratedly. 

"You don't have any reason to trust me, I know I lied. My name is Severus, and my last name isn't Prince. That was my mother's last name. Mine is Snape. I think I'll go now" he answered defeatedly, cursing the part of him that was wanted to stay. 

She shook her head vehemently, grasping at his hands 

"No! You're staying because you know something. I don't know what, but it's something. Plus, if that man comes back then you owe me some sort of protection." 

He laughed sharply

“I owe it to you? How do you come to that conclusion?" 

She motioned at the door

“I hid you from those kids pretending to be grownups. I could have easily sold you out, but I didn't. That's friendship, in spite of you lying to me." 

He nodded, she was right. He wouldn't turn her over, he was nothing if not a protector. 

"Stay here tonight, I have a spare room" she told him, starting to clean up the meal. 

Somehow, he knew that there wasn't any questioning her offer. They were going to stay and figure out what it was that drew them together.


	8. The Truth

Severus 

Tap tap tap tap. 

He startled from his half awake position in the spare bedroom at Grace's house. The geometric square clock on her wall told him it was 2:30 am. Looking out the window into the clear inky sky, he saw his beautiful speckled owl Horatio gliding towards him with a piece of parchment taped to his leg. As quietly as he could, he slid up the window and Horatio hopped in, extending his leg and head. 

He untied the paper and gave the proud owl a few strong pats. Opening the letter, he recognized Minerva's neat handwriting. 

"To whom it concerns,   
Upon investigation, there appears to have been a rebellion in the city of Rio de Janeiro on March 19, 1980. The instigators were magical extremists, Jean-Luc Laurent and Amalhe Botha. They were very dangerous people, garnering thousands of underground followers over twenty years. They worked from the inside of magical government, indistinguishable from rule abiding citizens. The extent of their crimes is unknown. 

This information is beyond classified, and has in fact been buried by the International Wizarding Confederation. Yours truly has only found it through various backchannels. Be careful with this because even in ignorance there can be immense danger. 

One more thing: your person is a Squib. The only written information about the couple at the ministry was this small sliver of a news article: The alleged perpetrators of the riot are listed as follows: male, 44, wizard, Beauxbatons. Woman, 43, witch, Uagadou. Child, female, 5, Squib. All three missing. Adults thought dead. Child's whereabouts are unknown. 

Please be careful. Destroy this message." 

He sat back astounded. Grace was a Squib. Her parents were dangerous criminals, thought to be dead but not confirmed. The man Grace thought to be trailing her, could it be her father? Or someone who idolized her parents? 

He couldn't explain any of this without magic. The whole understanding of why her parents cultivated a following hinged on magic. How cruel it would be to show her all of these wonders and at the same time inform her she would never be able to partake. But he saw no other way without continually lying to her and he wouldn't do that. No more lies and no more deception. She could make her own choice after he let her in on Minerva's findings.

His whole body was laden with dread at diving back into the magical world. He had spent three years away, hiding from the acknowledgment and the questions and the judgmental stares. He never wanted acclaim, and Dumbledore knew that. He didn't seek fame and deep down, he believed that he deserved all the anger and disgust thrown his way. But, to introduce Grace to all of that as well? To show her how unsavory his reputation truly was? 

He had enjoyed a new image, a new life clear of his past. He could be his own person and be free from any expectations and limitations. These past six months had lulled him into a false sense of security that his past wouldn't catch up to him, that he could start over. 

He didn't want to lose his friend. She understood casual existential dread, unfairness, and anger. But she also held a sense of jaded optimism. He enjoyed her acerbic wit and her willingness to sit with him in silence. For all of her sharpness, he knew that she liked being with him. It seemed so simple and so easily broken. 

The hairs on his neck raised on end as the floorboards outside his door cracked. Creeping over, he opened the door with his wand drawn. He let out an exasperated sigh as Wilfred stared up at him, tail wagging and tongue out. Letting the wheezy dog pass, Severus performed a revealing charm on the animal, bright blue light emitted from the wand. Wilfred appeared unfazed, hopping onto the bed and making a nest of blankets right below the pillow. 

His already tense body jumped as a knock came to the door. He forced himself to breathe before opening it. Grace stood there with two cups of tea, hair the color of cola hanging slightly tousled and in loose waves above her shoulders. Looking up at him through heavy lidded grey eyes told him that she hadn't slept much. Perhaps this news couldn't wait. 

Together they sat on the bed, only a mere inch apart. His slacks and sweater felt excessively restricting, she hadn't wanted him to leave her house for even ten minutes to change. Of course, she said that it was for his benefit because Potter and Weasley could have been snooping. But he knew she was afraid, somehow she sensed something was wrong. 

The weather was turning, but still warm enough to wear shorts to sleep, which she did. Her thigh rested against his, entire leg shimmering pale in the moonlight with crimson painted toes. He didn't move away. 

"I need to tell you something" he began, his tone ominous and hesitant. 

She looked up at him, taking a deep sip of her earl grey. Leaning across his body, she sat her cup on the bedside table. He resisted the urge to touch her back where the green tee shirt had ridden up. She sat back and held her hands out as if to say 'explain.' 

He sighed, knowing this could very well be the end of her friendship. The end of his time here. He would have to hide again. Start over. Oh well, everyone deserved to know where they came from. He pulled out his wand, handing it to her. She held it confusedly, face bunched up tight. Her fingers traced the etchings on the edge, running her fingers up the length of it. 

"Why do you have one of these too?" she finally asked, trying hard to maintain neutrality. 

"Because there is a world that you don't know about. But that you could be a part of, because of who your parents are" he began, knowing that it would take much explanation. 

Her entire body perked up. He held his wand up and whispered "accio memory box." 

A few seconds later the box came floating in the door. She did a double take, audibly gasping. He kept it in front of them, making it float. 

"That's not real. I'm dreaming" she stuttered, for once uncertain. 

"It's very real Grace..." he whispered back, setting the box down. 

She jumped up, hands clenched at her sides, unsure of what to do. 

"Show me more" she demanded shakily, standing as far away as possible.

He whispered "revilio" to the old wand, displaying the last few moments and spells that it encountered. Grace's face stared open mouthed, her eyes filling with tears. Then the wand lay silent. She covered her face with her hands, shoulders hunched to make herself as small as possible. He knew the feeling, trying to process the logic and pain. 

"Who are you, really?" she questioned, her voice laden with disappointment. 

"Severus Snape. My mother's last name was Prince and my grandfathers name was Alistair. I was a professor at a magical school. A spy during a magical war...I worked for a very bad man, one who your parents may be connected with. He is gone now. But his legacy lives on. It is akin to white supremacy" 

"Get out. I should have listened to my gut at the beginning. You're trouble. I have to be dreaming. I don't care if those kids are still out there. Get. Out" she demanded, fingers shaking as she pointed to the door. 

He left the note that Minerva wrote and for a bit of dramatic effect, and to prove a point, he disapparated to his living room. Part of him wanting to disappear that moment, but he cared about Grace. He couldn't leave her while someone was still seeking her for unknown reasons. She just needed time, and he hoped they had it.


	9. Prove It

Grace

Suddenly she was alone. Severus had disappeared. That was his real name: Severus. He had lied about his name and possibly his whole life. Every detail. From what he did for a living, to where he grew up, to how he found out about her family. And who was Minerva? 

She had let them see the most intimate things she owned, and let them in on her private life. Something she didn't let anyone see. Except Severus. She had decided that he was safe. That she could talk to him. He was funny and smart. He showed her the precision that it took to create homeopathic remedies, talking through each step with deep rooted passion and expertise. She showed him how to code on the computer, which he acted as if he never saw before. Maybe he wasn't lying...

Stop it, she chastised herself. Magic wasn't real. She had to be hallucinating. Dreaming. There was no way her parents were magicians...That wasn't the word. Wizards? Witches? Warlocks? And why couldn't she ever do anything remotely magical? Why didn't the wand ever light up or show her any of those images? How could she possibly trust someone who lied about everything he did? Everything he was? How could she trust herself when the whole world around her was possibly a sham? Things that happened around her that couldn't be explained by any manner of science? People who existed outside of reality? It was all too much. 

And all that talk about working for a "bad man?" How much of a red flag was that and she just gave it to him? Why was she so desperate to believe him? She never wanted friends badly enough to excuse lies and shady behavior. But he seemed different. Believable. Wounded. Strong.

And that vision from the "wand" was legitimate. That was her last memory. Tons of screaming, lights flashing around, the violent rocking of a boat as she was tossed in and hid under a blanket. She didn't open her eyes until days later when a police officer found her and asked her what she was doing. Or, at least that's what she assumed he was asking since she didn't speak English. 

She never knew what language she spoke before, no one told her. Once off the boat, people just screamed at her in words she didn't know until they stuck. She was eight years old in that memory, she should have known those things. Therapy told her that people repressed trauma but she remembered nothing. It wasn't right. Something had to have been done to her to make her forget. 

The sun was still weakly shining two months later, the leaves mostly fallen from the trees. The library didn't have any information on the names that Minerva gave her. The social security office had nothing. Immigration services came up with zero results. Even her foster records, as confusing and incomplete as they were had not even one word about those names. The only helpful information told her that she was found in Port Miami in a small passenger boat, alone and mute.

She had allowed her life to become some sort of play in which she wasn't even a main character. Her brain burned fuzzy with anger, barely able to concentrate on the deal that her company secured with the NSA. Angry that her whole life had been kept a secret from her. That a whole other world quite possibly existed and that her parents may still be alive. Not that she would want to see them. Maybe they weren't really bad? Why would she trust someone who she knew for less than a year? 

Damn it. She didn't like relying on anyone. But maybe she had to. This could be the stupidest thing she had ever done. 

She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and dressed in her favorite grey turtleneck sweater and blue jeans. Wilfred whined at the door, hopefully glancing up at his leash and to the window. She clipped him and glanced around uneasily. Now their little alcove didn't feel safe. Anyone could get in. Especially if they were like Severus, and could just fucking ignore the laws of physics and disappear into thin air and make shit float like a goth Houdini. 

They trotted next door, Wilfred announcing their arrival. Severus opened the door almost immediately, black tee shirt and dark rinse jeans. His face was tired, but he looked relieved to see her. 

"Don't ever lie to me again" she demanded, Wilfred whined loudly because he loved Severus more than her and wanted attention.

Severus dropped his head, standing aside to let her pass. He picked up the wiggling fifteen pound ball of happiness and held him tightly. Wilfred calmed instantly, mouth agape in relaxation. 

"Ridiculous" she scoffed, walking over to his dining room table and helping herself to tea. She hung her head in her hands, the steam curling around her face. She felt a hand awkwardly touch her shoulder for a few seconds before he sat beside her. 

"You come from power" he began softly, his voice tentative in how to approach her. 

"That doesn't do much good does it? I don't know who they were, or where they are. And they obviously didn't want me, they threw me in a boat with some stranger...Grace Jennings is a name that my first social worker gave me. I didn't get to choose it. I didn't even know my own name...Something happened to me that made me forget" she rambled on, spilling out some of the thoughts that had been mulling around her mind for the past week.

"You probably had your mind charmed" he began but she cut him off angrily 

"No! Shut up about magic. It's fake. I don't believe it at all, there has to be some real reason for all these things you can do" 

He rolled his eyes impatiently, swishing his wand to make the lights turn off and on. He changed the cup in front of her into a lizard and back to a cup. She didn't enjoy it, the pageantry only emboldened her anger. 

"It doesn't matter if you believe it. It's real and it's happening" he told her in a voice much softer than what he normally used. He was coddling her. 

"Don't treat me like I'm fragile. I can handle this" she argued stubbornly. 

"Oh really? Because it appears to be rather the opposite to me. You can't deny the facts in front of you Grace. Update your hypothesis and come to new conclusions" he advised firmly, his truffle brown eyes not leaving hers. They appeared black in the dark but were golden in the light. 

She sat back, realizing that she was defeated. She watched transfixed as he performed a variety of spells. A question came to her mind and she swore his face winced before she asked sadly

"Why can't I do those things? My parents supposedly could, so why can't I?" 

His face screamed uncertainty, he appeared to be choosing his words delicately. 

"Don't you lie to me Severus" she warned him, sensing his reluctance.

"We think...it isn't completely proven, but we're almost certain that you are a Squib. A person born to two magical parents who has no magic themselves. It's very rare but not unheard of" he explained quietly, feeling a particular pang of sadness as he watched her face fall apart. 

"So, I'm useless? I can't exist in whatever world you're telling me about? Wait..." she stopped talking as she began to process the implications of being a squib. Scrutinizing his face she continued on slowly

"Is that why they left me? Because I can't do...that stuff? They were powerful and I didn't inherit it?" 

He refused to meet her eyes at first, sealing her assumptions. She had worked her whole life to prove she was worthwhile, that she could make a difference, that she was self reliant. But now, finding out that the reason for all of that suffering and struggle may be because she was a disappointment...defective. 

"It doesn't matter Grace. The magical world has some outdated views on blood status...I got involved in that battle because of a need for respect, and it only served me harm. You can't choose who you are" he spoke to her firmly, lifting her chin to his level. 

She sat silently for a few minutes, jaw set and tight. Except she had chosen who she was, to an extent. And now, knowing that there may have been an entirely different path just taken away from her boiled in her blood. She needed to see it. Proof. 

"Prove it. Take me somewhere. Put up or shut up" she demanded, standing up with her fists balled to her sides. 

"Where do you want to go?" he asked, not usually one to give in to a demand asked so petulantly. Resistant to do anything for show, but at this moment he gave in to her request. 

"Are there people like you in town?" she asked, already knowing the answer. 

He nodded, settling Wilfred in the rocking chair before standing up and offering up his arm. She stared at it incredulously before he explained 

"I'll take us there, it's an unpleasant feeling but it's safe as long as you hold on and don't let go" 

She took a deep breath and latched her arms around his tightly. Instantly the world turned black, and she couldn't breathe, her stomach and lungs pulled tightly. Her heart pounded wildly and just as she thought she had made a horrible mistake, they were standing in a small back room of a store. Her stomach rebelled and she immediately threw up in a nearby trash can, aware that this wasn't her finest moment. 

Looking up, she met Severus eyes smirking at her. 

"We can time travel?" she asked in awe, taking in all of the bottles and tinctures that were neatly stacked on the shelves. 

"No, time travel is illegal. We simply apparated to a different location. Our time hasn't changed" he clarified, as if that made her feel any more secure.

"Oh of course. Time travel is illegal" she rolled her eyes, stressing the absurdity of the statement. 

"I'm not enjoying this side of you Miss Jones" he teased her in his deadpan tone. 

"Oh sorry I'm not meeting your expectations when my whole entire universe has been turned upside down. You are a real life magician who makes magic come out of a fucking stick. Forgive me my audacity" she bit back, hands on hips.

He smiled, to which she shoved him in the shoulder as hard as she could. 

"This isn't funny asshole! I'm freaking out" she felt her lip poke out, dangerously close to a foot stomp. Or a swift punch to his face. It was a toss up at this point. 

"I'm sorry to be enjoying your misery...What should I do?" he asked, taking a risk and stepping closer to her, hands open in a truce.

"Just...I don't know..." she admitted defeatedly, studying his shiny black dress shoes. 

"I do not have any emotional proclivity, so if you need that then you will have to tell me. Otherwise, you should just follow" he walked out the door and held it open, serious face wearing impatience like a mask. 

Drawing in a slow and steadying breath she walked forward with her shoulders thrown back.

"Master Prince! So good to see you!" exclaimed a tiny man with red cheeks and frizzy grey hair, he jumped off the chair he was sitting on and shook Severus' hand. The top of his head barely came up to his chest. 

"Hello Alexander, are those potions selling well?" Severus asked silkily, his posture proud but not imposing. 

"Yes, yes! The best of any that I've sold in years. Who have you brought? Lovely lady friend, eh?" Alexander laughed, reaching out to shake her hand. 

She smiled awkwardly, shaking his sweaty hand. Not his lady friend...She had noticed how easily their conversation flowed, the casual nitpicking, and the acidity of their sarcasm and she knew that it could mean something. But why risk their friendship? Why risk it? He had never expressed any interest in her and she hadn't either, and neither one of them would make that move. 

"This is Grace. She is a friend, we're spending the day out" Severus explained coolly, his expression conveying nothing. 

"Friend. Totally fine with that" she thought absentmindedly, staring around the store at all the glass vials filled with varying colors of liquids and creams. Did Severus make all of these? It wouldn't surprise her if he did, he was entrepreneurial and efficient. 

"Alright then, you and your friend have a lovely day. If she's in the market for an owl or a Kneazle, the Post is having a sale" Alexander offered kindly while vaguely gesturing outside. 

She had to pretend she knew what that meant or else she would expose Severus. This guy would know she was an imposter. Did she really believe this was true? She was beginning to. 

Severus began to walk toward the door without a word and she scurried to catch up. They walked out into the narrow street bustling with men and women dressed in mismatched tops, strange dresses, and old fashioned overcoats. Time warp. Owls flew overhead and...

"Oh my god! Did that person just ride a broom? Like a wicked witch?!" she whisper yelled to him. 

He looked around and answered back "Don't say wicked witch. It's just witch. Everyone knows how to ride one, many use them for a sport similar to Muggle lacrosse" 

"What's a muggle?" she asked, taking in the cheery crowd and street vendors selling floating books. 

He shifted a little before telling her "It's a person who doesn't have magical powers" 

"I thought you said that was a Squib?" she questioned confusedly. 

He blew out a breath and she snapped "Am I bothering you?" 

He shook his head apologetically before explaining

"A Squib is a non magic person born from two magic people. A muggle is just a person with no powers, one who doesn't have any idea about magic. It's a rather blanketed term for the people in a society that isn't ours." 

She shook her head, vaguely understanding. Taking a few steps into the street she saw him. The man. The one who followed her. Black hair side parted with industrial strength gel, creamy latte skin, and broad shoulders. He had his back turned to her. 

"Grace?" Severus asked, noting that she had paled considerably. 

"That's him...The guy who had followed me before. He's here...He's going to find me again. Is he magic?" she pointed at him, angling her body so that he wouldn't see her. 

Severus stepped in front of her, pretending not to be talking to anyone, his long cloak hid that he had latched onto her wrist protectively. 

"Let's go back to the shop. We'll figure out what to do there" he assured her, swirling his cloak around them and walking inconspicuously back towards the potion seller.


	10. The Mystery Man

Severus 

They hurried into the store, his cloak wrapped around her. In the thirty seconds it took to make it to the back room Grace's demeanor went from terrified to enraged. 

"Who is that guy? He doesn't get to keep making me uproot my life! I'm going to go ask him" she fumed, ready to turn back around and confront the mystery man.

"Grace, you are letting your emotions get out of control" he told her, trying to speak logically to calm her down but blocking the door. 

She glared at him, almost as if she was about to argue but thought better of it and took a few deep breaths. She shook her head viciously, hands still clenched at her sides. Alexander walked out looking confused, searching their faces for information. 

"We might have a problem with a potentially dangerous wizard, perhaps you should make yourself scarce Alexander?" he suggested to the red faced shopkeeper. 

Alexander gave him the finger guns and disapparated with a crack. Grace humphed loudly at the display of magic. He smiled at her quickly, not wanting her to think he was being patronizing. 

"I can ask him what he wants if he comes in here, but we shouldn't engage with him unnecessarily. As much as it might amuse me to watch you attempt to battle a wizard with no magic" he mused to her. 

"He's a man. One good kick and he's down" she retorted, turning to go stand in the back room. 

Severus smiled, he appreciated confidence but he knew Grace was no match for a wizard on a mission. He could have contact with her parents, he could possibly even be her parent. There was no reason for him to be involved in this debacle other than he was choosing it. 

Why was he choosing it? She could disappear again, easily. She was beyond intelligent, she could change identification, make a new company...But she wanted to stay. 

He didn't want to delude himself into thinking that maybe a part of it was for him. Their talks held energy but it would require a risk to put himself out there and acknowledge his own feelings...He couldn't do that again.

"You need to hide. Stay in the back room until I tell you to come out...Please" he demanded, hastily tacking on the please when he saw her expression turn cloudy.

She turned on her heel, stomping into the back room not a moment too soon. The dark haired mystery man glided in, eyes sweeping the room. He strode up to the counter, splaying his fingers out on the glass. 

"May I assist you?" Severus questioned silkily, his demeanor giving away nothing. 

"I would like to purchase some veritaserum, and I was informed that your shop was one of the few that is licensed to sell it" he explained calmly and quietly, a thick Eastern European accent muddling his words. 

"We are licensed to sell it, but you need a signed affidavit from the government agency that granted you permission to purchase. Also, I don't keep it in my store. Once I get the signed papers, then I brew it. It would be ready in one full moon cycle" Severus explained just as calmly, watching for any change in expression. 

"I don't have a signed affidavit. I was hoping we could do this off the record" he leaned forward, a sneaky smile easing up his lips. 

Severus held back an eye roll. Many potions brewers had a less than savory reputation, and it always started off with small favors. But, he would not travel that path again. 

"I run a tight ship, no under the table deals. Come back with the papers and we will have no problem" Severus assured him, probing into his mind. 

Who does he think he is? Certainly not the death eater that was rumored to be around here. Smile and nod, I can always come back later..." 

"Thank you for your time. Also, would you happen to know if this young woman has been seen around here?" he continued, pulling out a photo from his inner coat pocket. 

Grace. Albeit a few years old, it was still very obviously her. 

"I haven't seen her, should I be cautious?" Severus asked, leaning into the clever ruse that this man was playing. 

"She is...rather sought after by certain clients of mine" the man answered vaguely. 

Severus' hair raised on the back of his neck. Clients? So he was searching and following Grace. She needed to be protected. They needed to leave, and now.

"I will let you know if I see her. Will you be around for the foreseeable future?" he pushed for more information. 

The unknown man flicked a card towards him, writing appearing when Severus held it. 

Josip Babic. 

Josip didn't answer him, he simply turned and disappeared into the street. He could work with that. After making sure that Josip was out of the vicinity, he locked the doors and drew the shades. Once around the corner his eyes met Grace's. Her arms crossed, eyebrows furrowed, and toes tapping. 

"I knew he was looking for me. I don't want to move again" she stated, quiet fury coloring her words.

He didn't want to frighten her, but staying wasn't the best idea. Not until they found out who this man was and what he wanted from her. He needed to proceed cautiously from here. 

"Perhaps we should get Wilfred and go to Minerva's for a few days? We could search some of the magical libraries for a lead" he offered, hoping that it didn't sound as if they were running away. 

He wasn't afraid of this man, or anything that could be thrown his way. He had stared down death, anything after that was child's play. But Grace, she needed to be protected. 

She ground her toe into the floor, nodding slowly. He set to taking some healing potions, revival and sleeping draughts, the ingredients for Poly Juice potion, and a liquid version of chloroform. She watched him quietly, her eyes following his every move. Not a word, for once. 

"Severus..." she whispered, voice cracking like ice on a not quite frozen lake. 

His breath caught in his throat, dozens of vials almost shattering as his grip loosed on the bag. He took the few steps toward her, assuming it would be fine to stand closer. Normally, they each liked an arm width. In this moment, he could see each individual eyelash coated in mascara. She had a thin scar above her perfectly arched eyebrow, and a tiny cluster of blue tinted veins on her temple...He had never noticed that before. 

She reached up a small hand, placing it on his forearm, finally meeting his eyes, voice soft with worry "Are you going to stay with me?" 

Relief washed over his shoulders, a smile almost involuntarily crossing his face as he assured her 

"Yes Grace, as long as you need me." 

She smiled self consciously, slowly removing her hand from his arm as if she was embarrassed for touching him. He hadn't minded. He held out his elbow, which she locked with hers, her face wedged between his arm and chest, other arm wrapped around his waist so as not to get separated. He drew in a deep and steadying breath before apparating back to her place.


	11. The Healer

We're going to do a crossover folks. I love my OC Serena Barrett and she is going to appear in this chapter. She and Severus do not know each other though; she is existing happily at Ilvermorny. For the purpose of those story, nothing written in my other works about her and Severus has happened. 

I'm doing my own bit of speculation as to how magic works in this chapter. It may not be true to story but I'll try.   
***************

Severus

"Where are we?" she asked, her face pale from apparition. Wilfred wiggled down from her grip and began exploring. 

"Minerva's home. She's at Hogwarts now, the wizarding boarding school. She is the headmistress there so her home is vacant most of the year" he explained, a false sense of security temporarily wrapping him up.

The months he spent barricaded within these walls were good memories, a time when he didn't need to answer to anyone. To heal. To be alone. No requirements from anyone. The entire world thinking he was dead. No responsibility. 

"Are we in another world?" she asked cautiously, looking around as if afraid to move. 

"Of sorts. We are outside of London. Shielded from non-magical people, or muggles" he explained simplistically. 

Explaining the mechanics of the magical shields would take weeks. 

She stepped more confidently across the room, admiring the paintings and moving photographs. A pretty tawny cat strolled around the corner, walking past her feet. Wilfred rolled over instantly, tongue out and tail wagging. 

"Hello Minerva" Severus greeted the cat casually. 

"She named her cat after herself? That's ballsy" Grace mentioned, admiring the photos of a young Minerva gleefully riding what appeared to be a broom and holding a soccer sized ball. 

Severus waited a few seconds before nearly reveling in Grace's face as Minerva transfigured into her human form in front of her. She stood with her mouth agape, eyes nearly bulging in disbelief. 

"Hello dear, welcome to my home. I hope you find yourself completely comfortable" Minerva offered, tea cups and kettle floating towards them. 

"That's not...Did you just make yourself a cat? Are you some sort of human hybrid?" Grace demanded, thoroughly horrified. 

Minerva looked to him, she had no idea what that meant. To her, it was just a skill. 

"Some witches and wizards are so magically advanced that they can learn how to shape shift their cells into something else. It's very much mind over matter with this type of skill. Minerva has taught Transfiguration for decades at Hogwarts. She is the best" he assured her. 

The tea cup and saucer spun lazily in front of Grace's face, taunting her. 

"Show me again, please" came a defeated whisper. 

Minerva morphed quickly into the same well kept tawny cat. She pranced for good measure and transfigured back into her stern yet kind familiar figure. 

"What in the hell have I gotten myself into?" Grace murmured, finally taking the cup and saucer and taking a deep drawl. 

"I hear that a lot...We are going to find that out dear. And you are welcome to stay here as long as you need to. And, Severus, you know that place is always there to welcome you home" she placed her hand lovingly on his arm. 

He stiffened up. Hogwarts never felt like his home and it didn't seem that it would now. Especially since he would have to hide himself away because he was...dead.

"I need help finding someone who knows memory charms. Even the dark ones. I can use a Skew potion to make sure no one notices who I am, but any kind of connections that you may be able to use would be of the utmost help Minerva" he appealed to her. 

She looked between the two of them, her expression softening a bit. One look at Grace's panic stricken face, barely composed and trying to hold it together stirred her need for justice and protection. A quick glance at Severus' brooding and set features told her that he was on a mission and she had better get in line or step aside. 

"You know that I will do my best Severus. Now, I need to return to the school but please owl me if you need anything and I will leave Star with you" she told them kindly, disapparating with a pop. 

"Who's Star?" she asked him, glancing around for another person. 

As he opened his mouth to explain what a house elf was, Star popped in at the sound of her name. 

"Star is here miss! Would you like dinner?" the impishly squeaky voice inquired happily 

Grace's hands flew to her mouth, her face twisted in absolute confusion and horror "Severus...what...is...it?" 

Star hiked an eyebrow and turned to Severus. 

He informed her "Star, Miss Grace is a muggle raised Squib. She has never seen an elf before" 

Star bowed and hopped over to her "Star is a house elf miss! Whatever you need, I can get it! You tell me what you want to eat, I'll get it right away! I want to help, Headmistress says you are nice. And Master Snape is a hero" 

He sighed softly, wishing that Star would keep her joyful exultations to herself. But that would be too simple. 

"Oh um...I guess I like roast?" Grace told her slowly, apparently still not believing that Star was real. 

Star clapped happily and poofed to the kitchen. Wilfred whined and trotted away to look for her. 

"Is she a slave?" she asked him curiously 

He thought how to phrase his response

"They have had the opportunity to leave Hogwarts but they choose to stay because they are paid a wage there and are highly respected and keep the school running" 

She bit her lip and snipped back

"So, your school runs on indentured servitude? Free will slave labor? They can't make it out in society so they're forced to stay? That's inhumane. I don't think I can ask her to do stuff in good conscience." 

"They are treated fairly at Hogwarts. They enjoy what they do or they would leave. They were gifted their freedom and may go at any time. You are not benefitting from their supposed oppression" he asserted, trying to reign in his impatience. 

She still looked concerned as she admitted "Yeah well, I'm American. It's our national shame...I want to pay her too." 

He nodded, he would have expected nothing less. 

"Do wizards operate outside of the real world?" she questioned, running her hands over all the furniture to make sure it existed. 

He placed his hands together, pressing firmly while trying to decide how to explain it

"It's all one world, we just operate hidden within it. Our world is an absolute secret otherwise our powers could be harnessed for evil. We struggle enough with that within our own society...We've hidden ourselves for millennia and any threat to that is very grave indeed." 

She sat down, rather collapsed with her forehead in her hands. He eased his way over, the tingling in his fingertips wanting to touch her but his brain shouting to give her space. 

"Are you going to tell me this is all a fucking joke? Because if you're not then sit your ass down and tell me about magic" she growled at him, motioning at the cushion.

For the next few hours he explained spells, wands, the wizarding wars, Hogwarts, and the code of secrecy. She listened intently, eyes never glazing over or breaking contact. It would have been unnerving if he had lived a normal life. She leaned back as the room began to grow dark. 

"Perhaps you should go to bed?" he suggested, awkwardly tapping her knee. 

A small smile crossed her face, her hand gripping his shoulder so she could sit up easily. 

"Can you carry me?" she asked, a wicked grin growing on her face 

"Excuse me?!" he sputtered out. 

"Use your magic. Float me on up to my room like those tea cups. Come on, chop chop my little wizard" she giggled, standing up with her arms spread out. 

Normally, he would have hexed someone if they spoke to him in such a demeaning and nonsensical manner. Especially if they demanded he use his magic as a joke. In this circumstance, he found her request a childlike show of good faith. She trusted him and believed the information he told her. She was putting her literal body on the line to prove that she bought into their world. 

"Levicorpus" he murmured, wand not necessary. 

She easily lifted from the ground, a gleeful shriek escaping her lips. He hadn't seen her so happy in weeks. Unafraid. Young. Lighthearted. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the thought warmed him. To see someone jaded and rough by the world only served as a mirror to his own wounds. He was glad to help in any way that he could. Their journey was just beginning. 

——————————-

"I found a Charms mistress who has expertise in the area we need. She wants to stay for awhile to learn about the situation and has promised me her utmost confidentiality" Minerva spoke through the Floo network a few days later. 

"What is her name?" he asked suspiciously. 

"Serena Barrett. She is currently employed at Ilvermorny. She has extensive knowledge in memory reversal charms. Her work is well noted and researched if you would like to look her up" she assured them 

"Top of her field?" he pushed for more information. 

"Top of her class, top of her field. I must let you know she is an empathic healer and a legilimens. Highly experienced Potions brewer as well. It seems she could keep you on your toes" she teased, before a ruckus erupted behind her and she shouted out that she would be there at noon that day. 

Empath healing. That was a highly divisive topic within the magical world. There were less than two recorded cases of natural empaths. Ever. In all of history. Their lives were hard, learning how to filter the emotions and energies of every person around them. It is possible that it could be more common but many chose to ignore it because of the burden that it caused. Frankly, anyone who let emotions run their life didn't seem trustworthy to him. Swayed by any which inclination. 

"What's that thing she just said? Legili..." Grace wondered aloud, picking at her lunch and feeding Wilfred some carrots. 

"Legilimens. It is the ability to look into people's thoughts and see them" he replied plainly, waiting for the recoil. 

"A mind reader? Is nothing sacred here?!" she gasped, eyes rolling dramatically. 

"It's not technically mind reading...But I suppose we could call it that for the sake of argument" he quickly backtracked at the look of indignation on her face. 

Realization dawned on her

"Have you ever read my thoughts? Are you doing it right now? What am I thinking?" 

He rolled his eyes

"Please Grace. I am not a children's party trick. I read your thoughts once, when I first met you because I wanted to maintain my privacy. To make sure you were who you said you were. But I haven't and I won't. It can be a gross invasion of personal boundaries"

She stared at him in silence for a few moments, deliberating whether or not to be angry but decided that the one small indiscretion wasn't worth it in the grand scheme of the day

"You're right. I'm sorry...Let's just wait for this woman to get here. Hopefully she can help" Grace admitted, standing up, her small feet pacing the ground in anticipation. 

——————— 

"Severus? Grace? Are you here?" Minerva called curiously to a seemingly empty home. She was answered by a faint bark out on the back porch. She motioned to the young woman beside her to follow. 

The back porch sat facing acres of hills hedged in by a mile deep forest. The porch itself was filled with white picket trellises with perpetually blooming flowers, soft couches and chairs, and a lovely stone table filled with lunch prepared by Star.

Severus had encapsulated the porch and yard with as many protection spells as he could. Minerva and the other woman began to do the same. Grace stood out in the yard throwing a ball for Wilfred who was nothing but a blur of grey fur and pink tongue.

"Severus, this is Charms Mistress and Ilvermorny Professor: Serena Barrett. Serena, this is potions Master Severus Snape" Minerva introduced them. 

He stared at her in silence, not worrying about the awkwardness. Her expression was pleasant, inviting in his scrutiny. Long spirals of thick toffee colored curls, straight bridge nose over grapefruit pink lips. She didn't break the abnormally long eye contact. Lush green eyes. A royal blue cloak lay in the crook of her elbow, cranberry red dress covering her short and curvy body. All softness. A beauty that was not ordinary. A rolling wave of an unfamiliar emotion spread through him: nervousness. 

"Hello sir" she reached out a hand to him, flat American accent falling strangely on his ear. 

Her voice was lower than Grace, melodic and sweet. The impulse for her to whisper to him was overwhelming. 

He shook her hand uncertainly. Her presence was slightly unsettling. Nothing but warmth; actual physical warmth radiating off her body. How was that possible? His hands began to sweat. 

"Miss Barrett" he replied back, hand hotter than it should have been from her touch. 

She was still staring into his eyes but not trying to read his mind. 

Wilfred bounded over, launching himself into Serena's lap as she sat down. She began to laugh and rub his exposed belly. 

Minerva introduced the two women, informing Grace of Serena's vast qualifications. Minerva knew that an achievement oriented individual such as Grace needed facts not feelings. 

Serena procured a three inch thick binder from her bag and handed it to him. He flipped it open to find pages of research, notes, thoughts, finished papers, and successful trials of memory charm reversals. She came prepared to defend. His eyes landed on a familiar pair of names: Frank and Alice Longbottom. 

Beside their names was a status: restored. 

"Shall we get started right now? Or do we need to have dinner first? I'm all for eschewing social convention if you are" Serena mentioned as they say around the table for a few moments in silence. 

"What are you going to do?" Grace asked, still uncertain. 

Serena held up her hands, a beautiful golden glow beginning to emanate from them

"I am a healer. An empathic healer. I harness energy within myself, good and bad. I'm kind of like those coin machines at the grocery store. You know, you put in pennies and get dollars?" 

He and Minerva shared a bewildered glance but Grace brightened up for the first time all day at something she understood and continued to listen intently

— "I convert all that energy within my body and I use it to heal people. If you have suffered trauma, I can convert that pain into joy. It is an additional part of therapy that wizards have that non-magical people don't. It breaks down the barriers to long term healing. When you aren't in pain, you can heal faster. You can process your grief, sadness, or anger quicker because you don't have to wade through the muck of feelings...

I am also a Charms mistress. Meaning I've invented numerous spells and mastered all including non verbal ones. American witches learn those first because of the whole Salem debacle. I can read minds like Severus, but I will not do that without your express permission. I spent time in the Amazonian rainforest learning dark magic and it's counterparts. I've seen a lot of things and I want you to be assured that whatever has happened to you, it will not frighten me. Anything else?" 

Severus didn't bother to hide his pride at her accomplishments. Being in the company of three highly educated women would once have made him surly and stew about in his own perceived inadequacy. However, now he was assured that the weight of this mission would be shared. He didn't need to be sole protector. They would be a team. They could protect him too. That was a weight loosed from his ankle. 

Serena turned to him, eyes locking onto his and nodded. He returned the gesture. She held his gaze, eyes completely unafraid of him, inviting him into a silent conversation of sorts. 

"Just tell me what to do" Grace spoke up softly, eyes cautiously meeting Serena's. 

Serena clasped Grace's hands between hers and a golden light wrapped itself around their arms. It was mesmerizing and terrifying at the same time. The fact that one human could harness that much power terrified him. 

In the wrong hands that much power could destroy worlds. Yet here he was watching it mend memories. He settled back, enjoying the residual energy caressing his face like a warm summer day. It would be a while.


	12. Who Is Grace

Grace 

The warmth spread up through her arms quickly but it didn't burn. Her veins were being flooded, her arms raised in goosebumps. 

Relax, it's Serena. Show me your earliest memories. 

Grace ignored the fact that it was not normal to have another person's voice inside her head and concentrated on the first memories. The flashes of green and red light. The screaming. Yelling. Getting washed up in the boat. The faces of the police officers who found her hiding under the blankets. 

What were the blankets made out of? 

That's weird. Okay...Scratchy and hard. Not like normal. 

What color were they? 

Brown. Khaki. This is stupid. 

Stay with me. I need you to pay attention. Trust me. 

Definitely khaki. 

Were they blankets? Or something else?

Canvas. Burlap. Bags. They were coffee bags! She grinned, a sudden smell invading her nose. Coffee and wood. Wood and urine. Her legs felt sticky. She had to relieve herself underneath the coffee bags and her legs had been covered. Shame flushed on her cheeks. 

It's okay Grace. No one else can see this. You survived. You got through so much. Only a little more. What were you wearing? 

She didn't know. She hadn't thought to look down. She had been so afraid. Her heart sped up, brain overloaded with the sensation of rocking and pounding of waves. Her stomach tumbled with nausea. Oh god, this couldn't be happening again. 

Breathe Grace. It's not really happening. Just try to see your pants, or shoes. Focus on the details. The sounds. 

She gathered her thoughts, forcing a deep breath into her lungs. Her pants were heavy, they were wet through and left rashes on her legs. That still happened sometimes if she wore jeans and sweat through them. It had to have been denim. Her feet were cold, barely covered. But the distinct sound that flip flops made stood out to her now that the fear had subsided through the warmth. Red flip flops. A strange swell of glee puffed her chest. She used to love those flip flops. 

Good. That's perfect. I'm going to let go now, and we can rest. 

The excessive peace slowly left her body, leaving her heavy and limp. She opened her eyes to find everyone staring. Serena's eyes were half closed but she was smiling. Proud. Happy. 

"I did it" she whispered softly, almost afraid that it would all disappear. 

"Yes you did. Your recall was amazing. We will have so much more information in the coming days" Serena whispered, body slack against the chair. 

Grace realized it must take an awful lot out of her to heal someone's energy. Especially if the memories were as repressed or confounded as they thought. 

"Are you alright Serena?" Severus rumbled, concern coloring his baritone voice, hands on his knees ready to spring forward to catch her should she fall. 

"Yes sir. I'll need to rest tonight but I will be ready again in the morning" she replied, slowly standing up. 

"I never thought I would need them but I have made up the spare rooms for each of you. Serena dear, let me help you; you're barely standing" Minerva hurried over and took her arm, leading her to the other side of the house. 

"Severus...I remembered so many things. What if I really know what happened to me?" she gushed to him, unable to be cynical. 

Perhaps it was the residual healing power still coursing through her veins. 

He smiled, indulging her happiness before commenting

"Yes, maybe there is something to be said for healing through emotion. I may have to bring a book for the next session, you two were entranced for nearly an hour." 

That was impossible. They had only had a less than five minute conversation. Could it truly have taken her that long to retrieve such meaningless facts? How long would they have to go at this before they had anything concrete? She drew in a deep breath, forcing the thoughts to slow down. Take it a few minutes at a time. For now, she would nap. 

————————-

Severus

"Miss Barrett?" he knocked on her door softly that night around nine. 

He had brewed a large cauldron full of Revival draught for the ladies sessions. He didn't do well just sitting around. He needed to have a part in the plan. Seeing how exhausted the two were after just one short hour spurred him on. The door opened and closed behind him. 

"You can call me Serena" she informed him from her spot on the decadent four poster mahogany bed. 

Her American accent made everything seem incredibly informal, words spilling out like water from a leaky pipe. 

"Right. Serena. I've made you a revival draught, would you like it now?" he held the vial timidly between his fingers, hyper aware of the fact that he was in a woman's bedroom. 

The lights were dim. Not that it should matter. The situation was highly unusual. Everything seemed overcharged with meaning.

She motioned for him to sit beside her. Floral perfume danced in his nose. He didn't want to accidentally touch her. Her skin was a furnace and he didn't want to be burnt. A trace amount of guilt was weighing down his shoulders because for some reason he thought he should be with Grace in spite of the fact that they had never once flirted. That this may be some sort of boundary. But he had no concrete evidence with which to prove that. 

Serena held out her hand and drank the potion down in a few quick gulps. Impressive feat considering it tasted like socks. 

"Thank you. Do you need anything?" she asked him, her voice leading a little. 

He tried to choose his words carefully

"Will this be incredibly painful for Grace?" 

She thought it over before answering 

"Quite possibly. Her mind has been charmed but I'm not sure to what extent. I need to make sure she hasn't been charmed with what I call a "memory bomb." Some dark magic will self destruct within when it has been uncovered leaving the person's brain basically goo...That's why I'm going slowly." 

He hadn't heard of that. Memories that had a destruction timer attached. It was like an unbreakable vow but done without consent.

"There's someone trying to find her, and they are connected to her past that she can't remember. I wish for her to remain safe for as long as possible" he stated briefly and innocuously. 

"Of course, I will do my absolute best. Are you involved? Romantically? I don't care. I just don't like to be surprised when I accidentally stumble upon memories of a very personal nature" she told him, a sneaky grin lighting up her face. 

He stumbled for the right words

"Well, no. I mean, we are friends. I want her to...to be okay. She is rather smart and I suppose pretty...But me, well I'm too...and she's not, it just wouldn't; but perhaps...We are friends." 

She sat up, her tee shirt rising up and exposing her smooth skin. Ignore it, he commanded himself. With a kinder expression than he deserved she reached her delicate hand up to his forehead, holding her fingertips to his temple. He felt immediate relief from his anxiety. Down his cheek her fingers travelled, taking a slow trip to his shoulders. Swinging her legs underneath her body, she hoisted herself up in front of him. 

He faced many atrocities during his time as a spy but having a beautiful woman within an inch of his face was significantly more frightening. Long black lashes and a spattering of freckles would be his undoing. 

"What are you doing?" he tried to sound menacing but his voice cracked. 

"I'm doing you a favor...Hush" she commanded, her hands holding firm to his shoulders where all of the tension released, his body freer than it had been in years. He stifled a groan of happiness. 

Next came his arms, and fingertips. She made her way back up, thumbs pressed to his nose and palms molded to his cheeks. He dared to open his eyes only to find that hers were closed. Gentle tapping fingers touched his neck and he fought the urge to jerk away as she touched his scar. It was brutal to look at. He had been betrayed and left for dead. It wasn't something he was proud of. 

It's not that bad. Lean back. 

He took her advice, resting against the wall as she made her way down his body. What kind of magic was this? That he, Severus Snape would allow a perfect stranger into his safe zone, to allow close enough contact that she could kill him? Not that she would. Hopefully. 

Quit reading your mind like a book professor. Shut it down for just a few minutes. 

The weight of her hands on his chest grounded him, radiating a pulsing vibration throughout his lungs, making him breathe easier. Her touch was not lost; he hadn't had any physical encounters before...Now was not the time for that. For god sake, they were in hiding from a possible killer. Not the time for romance. Not that she was interested at all. This was her job. 

When she touched his stomach, his body seized up. Blessedly, she skipped his thighs and went to the knees. The inflammation surrounding his joints receded immediately. Why wasn't this type of magic employed everywhere? 

He opened his eyes to see her knelt down in front of him, firmly gripping his calves then feet. Years of damage done by potions brewing, constantly standing and monitoring students had disappeared. His body sat lighter than it had in recent memory. 

"Please take care of Grace. I can't let anything happen to her" he blurted out vulnerably. 

"I promise" she whispered reassuringly, giving his feet a tight squeeze. 

The true test would come in the morning. 

———————   
Grace

"Please lay still and let the energy run through. I'm trying to open up your blocked brain canals. Memory charms can shut down certain parts of the brain, and I want to attempt to open them back up" Serena explained to her the next morning. 

"Let's do it" Grace replied back. 

She didn't need to think about it. This was further than she had ever gotten with any therapist, and she had seen a lot of them over the course of her life. 

The warmth began on her skull and seeped its way down inside. Any anxiety she felt melted away, and it was replaced by calm. Was this how most people felt all the time? She could get so much done if that was the case.

Serena began to hum softly, unintelligible speech interspersed between the melody. It was a comforting song, the cadence speaking more than words. 

I'm going to look through your memories. I need to see everything. You won't need to think. I'll be in charge. 

The images flashed quickly through her mind, playing in the street, reading books alone, school and it's tedium, college life full of drinking and studying, her friends, Wilfred, Severus, a computer screen, and Josip the mystery man. 

A vision of her at five years old, hidden in the corner of a dark bedroom while her foster parents screamed downstairs. The sound of smashing glass and the hollow thud of a body being slammed up against the wall. Knees pulled to her chest and a yellow crochet blanket that the agency gave her when they named her Grace. This wasn't the first memory to begin this way. 

The edges began to fade away, the familiar room with its torn wallpaper and simple mattress on a box spring melted like candle wax. She was younger. Maybe three? She was in the same position but a different room. This room was painted pink, frilly lavender curtains adorned the windows, and a high backed twin bed sat beside her with a rainbow bedspread. Crushed between her tiny arms was a grey stuffed cat. The sounds were coming closer, and she watched her memory as if it were a movie, unsure of what happened next. The door slammed open and the vision went black. 

The humming stopped, making her sit straight up. She looked around, heart hammering in her chest. 

"What was that?" she asked gruffly to Serena, who wore an expression of sadness and satisfaction. 

"Your memories have been tampered with. Your brain is interwoven with so much dark magic, I hardly know where to begin" Serena advised her, only half of it making sense. 

Severus blanched white, gripping the couch handle. This had to be bad. Dark magic wasn't allowed. She looked to him for something. Hope? Reassurance? He stayed silent. 

"So even my memories are wrong? My life isn't even my life?" she concluded a few moments later, knowing how melodramatic that sounded. 

Serena nodded solemnly before continuing "Yes. But there is no lasting damage. It appears to have been done for your protection. There are tiny holes in your memories that most wizards or witches can't get at...But I can. Would you like to know why?" 

She bit back a sarcastic no, this soft spoken and all peaceful woman was getting on her nerves. Instead she shook her head yes. 

Serena checked on Severus, to make certain he was listening. Of course he was, he hadn't taken his eyes off of either of them in days. 

"Accio notes" Serena spoke to the air and her stack of papers floated to them. She opened up a hyperrealistic drawing of a brain before speaking again 

"The brain has neural pathways which carry information. That information is stored in different areas as memories. Whoever did this magic on you understood that, and blocked certain pathways so that the memories weren't cemented correctly. And, the ones that were already formed were sort of...coated in a layer of misinformation to throw off anyone who would seek to find them. They didn't take your memories or any knowledge you had prior to four, they just barricaded them off in different hallways so to speak. 

Most witches and wizards wouldn't be able to get at these pathways because there is no way for them to heal the blockage. Similar to a heart stint. Never mind Severus, it's a Muggle thing. But I am an empath, a healer by nature as we all know. I can use that energy to open those pathways back up and the brain, as resilient as it is, will take the information to the correct spot and you will have your life back...Do you understand?" 

Serena finished explaining and held onto her hands, for support or comfort possibly. Physical comfort never helped her but she didn't want to offend the woman who held her life in her hands. The memories were there, the knowledge was not lost forever. It was just hidden. 

"Can we start now? I want to know who I am" she asked with her sharp chin pointed up in defiance. 

"You need to prepare yourself for what is coming. Anger, sadness, trauma, we don't know what kind of life you had...It might be worse than you think. Too much information all at once will delay the process and make you unstable" Serena warned her in that low key, pillow talk voice that she had come to recognize as one of de-escalation. 

"I can handle it. I'm not afraid" she pushed, noting that Severus perked up at her insistence. 

He was cheering for her. He may not show it but he trusted her choices. 

"I know, you are incredibly capable. I'm telling you that I as your healer, want you to prepare yourself. You need to feel in order to heal...Yes, I know that sounds stupid you can stop rolling your eyes. 

Make a list of ways to care for your brain, and ways we can help keep you focused. It's a plan of attack. An offense. I know you don't need defended" Serena offered, her tone firm and certain. 

She rolled her eyes again in spite of Serena, emotion was not her strong suit. There was nothing she couldn't logic away or solve by reasoning. But to placate the healer she decided to write a few things down that seemed sensible. 

1\. Be honest about boundaries.   
2\. Talk through the memories.   
3\. Don't hold back emotions.   
4\. Listen to others.

This reeked of new age nonsense. She hated herself for writing it. Serena glanced over it, her dark brown eyes squinting at Grace's minuscule handwriting. Curls bobbing in agreement, she motioned for her to lie back again and they would get started. 

"Serena, would you like anything?" Severus asked, standing closely beside her with his hand resting on her shoulder. 

However, it wasn't placed at the edge of her shoulder, his slim fingers were nearly curled around the base of her neck, nestled underneath her hair. He had to brush back her curls in order to get his hand into that position. 

Interesting. 

Grace wondered if he found Serena pretty, she wouldn't blame him if he did. She was highly intelligent, an obviously powerful witch, and unbearably loving. He could do what he wanted, she held no claim to him. But a small part of her wished he would touch her shoulder that way. 

'Juvenile'...she scolded herself angrily. 

Serena smiled gratefully up at him, asking for a Revival potion, whatever the hell that was, and a shawl. He turned to Grace and waited expectantly, to which she told him she needed nothing. He immediately turned and went on his way. His demeanor had shifted. He didn't keep her on point with his acerbic wit and biting revelations. 

"Let's get started. The memories could start to come really fast and if you get overwhelmed then picture a stop sign" she explained, closing her eyes and placing her hands on Grace's head. 

The melodic humming started again, instantly soothing her nerves. She should record this for her insomnia. 

A beautiful home came into view; a two story Tudor style with brown shutters and a gigantic garden out front. The beautiful roses and hydrangeas provided hedges of protection from any onlooker who dared venture close to the windows. There weren't any houses nearby, only hills and a turquoise blue lake. 

A small child played outside on a swing with two adults smiling as they pushed. She realized with a pang that the child was her. Trying to pump her legs independently, brow furrowed in determination. The woman's shoulder length blonde hair rustled in the wind, her floral dress hanging around her knees, bare feet stained green from the grass. 

The man was bald, sunlight glinting off his rounded skull. His muscles strained at his green tee shirt as he pulled her back on the swing, held her up, then ran underneath as she flew high up into the leaves, shrieking in delight. 

They were playing in a park, the writing on the sign said "Stadtpark." That was German. They were in Germany or Switzerland. She laughed the whole way down the long metal slide. Fear had no place in their little world it would seem. 

Her mother held her tightly as they rocked to sleep in the pink room. They wore matching green nightgowns with bunny slippers. It was almost too picturesque. Her heart ached in a way that she didn't know was possible. As if someone tied an anchor to it and sent it to her stomach. 

Her father held her hand as they walked along the shore of the lake by their house. He held up a flat stone and showed her how to skip it. She begged him to do it again, her voice high pitched and new. She realized she wasn't speaking in English, yet she could understand. 

"Papa! Encore!" 

She wanted him to throw the stone again. She recognized it as French. She was speaking French. They must be in Switzerland, there was a large French population there. He threw the stone dozens of times at her jubilant insistence. 

She sat behind a gigantic birthday cake, much too big for a child her size. Three tiers of vanilla cake, sprinkles of every color, and four tall sparkling candles. Her parents sat on either side of her, kissing her cheeks and smiling goofily as she spit all over the cake trying to blow out the candles. There were dozens of people there, all with smiles and wands. There were other children running around, some were flying about on brooms. 

There he was. Standing at the front of everyone, a gigantic smile on his face. Josip. He clapped excitedly when she blew out the candles and took a wrapped gift to her. She jumped out of the chair and into his arms. 

"Oncle Jo-Jo! Un cadeau, pour moi?!" she cried out joyously, having only one setting to her voice: loud. 

She tore it open and inside was a beautiful doll made to look just like her. Long brown hair and bright blue eyes with carnation pink cheeks. She squeezed the doll to her chest and ran into the crowd of children. 

The world faded and the three of them were at a coffee table, their wands in hand, using them as markers to write in the air. She giggled, making her side pigtails bounce. Her mother handed her the long ebony wand and she waved it about in exact imitation. But nothing happened. The two exchanged a curious glance. Her father handed her his wand, and nothing happened. Their faces fell. Noticing something was wrong she puckered up her face and tried to wave the wand harder to no avail. 

They were at a small shop. An old man peered at her from the counter. She appeared to be about four or five. He handed her wand after wand. There were other things on the shelves: eyeballs, potions vials, different plants and powders...None of it appeared very savory. 

"You know magic can come about later, not all children show signs this young" he advised, but not looking convinced. 

"But, have you ever seen that happen?" her mother asked anxiously

"Well...no" he admitted, handing her a white wooden wand. 

Nothing. 

"Is she a squib?" asked her father, regret coloring his voice. 

"Would you keep her if she was?" he whispered to them, making sure she didn't hear. 

"She wouldn't be safe" her mother whispered, horrified. 

They both stared at her, disbelief etched on their faces. 

They were back at their home, seated in her room with dozens of books surrounding them. Her parents were talking in whispers

"Josip will take the boat to America. It is the safest place right now; there is no war or suspicion of magic. She can't live this life mon coeur" her father reasoned with her mother, face was covered in streaky tears 

"We can hide her. We can take her with us. She needs to know we didn't...abandon her" she sobbed, running fingers through her hair. 

"I don't want to leave her either. But she can't do magic. They would eat her alive. She would be an outcast. Her life would be unfair, seeing magic but never being able to perform it? Being susceptible to any attack and not being able to defend herself? Is that really love?" he questioned her, his eyes spilling with angry tears. 

"We can protect her memories...Maybe someday she will retrieve them...I don't want her to forget us" her mother whispered, pulling her close. 

That night they slept together, huddled in her tiny rainbow bed. 

She watched as they carried her sleeping body to a boat with a duffel bag full of her belongings. Red light from their wands encircled her tiny head. Green and white lights traipsed around her next. The two handed her off to Josip, who cradled her against his massive chest. As the boat roared away, they screamed in despair. 

"Goodbye Aelin"


	13. Get Ready To Jump

Severus

"Is she alright?" Serena asked him through half closed eyelids. 

He took a seat beside her on the large outdoor lounger. The late afternoon sun filtered through the lattice roof, warming the porch as they recovered. Grace had been inconsolable. Her face blank for nearly an hour as she processed what she just saw; but then, it broke. Violent, angry, and vitriolic tears flowed down her cheeks. 

He knew that rage well. The deep seated realization that she had been shortchanged. Her life had been radically altered and she had no say in it. Everything out of control and planned out for her. His life had been similar under Dumbledore. It left much to be desired. 

He had put an awkward arm around her shoulder, aware that his chance of getting cold cocked was fifty-fifty. She growled like a caged lioness and tucked her head into his shoulder. He offered her a sleeping potion, knowing she would need to rest because as soon as she awoke she would be chomping at the bit to get started again. 

"She was understandably upset. Her whole life has been taken from her..." he answered shortly, not wanting to betray any confidence. 

Grace wouldn't want Serena to know that she broke down, especially after that spectacle this morning about her iron clad soul. 

Serena sighed deeply, holding her palms and freckled face up to the sun, as if drinking in its rays

"At least my parents told me they didn't want me...I suppose it would be worse to find out you were very loved after believing the opposite for your whole life" 

He stared at her, mouth agape. How could someone so full of incessant light come from that type of home? He had held onto the fact that he had a terrible family and that somehow made it acceptable for him to make some of the choices he did. But...perhaps he was just a weak man. 

He sat silently beside her, waiting for Minerva to bring the Pensieve from her office so they could both see the memories. Grace was insistent that they all know. He suggested she keep them private, but talking her into something she had already decided against was pointless. 

"How did you know that information about the brain?" he asked her curiously after he couldn't stand the silence any longer. 

She didn't appear to mind it, her body languid beside him. 

"I graduated from a Muggle university. I was going to be a doctor...But there was no way to explain how I knew what was wrong or how I could heal people without medicine. It wouldn't have been ethical" she turned her face to him but didn't open her eyes. 

"Your knowledge is impressive...You are an...incredibly talented woman" he stumbled out, unaware of what he was getting at. 

Fumbling at some form of friendship. Some sort of kindness. A compliment. 

A small smile fluttered across her face. She placed her hand over his without looking. She knew where he was. 

"Is that your first time giving a compliment?" she teased, her warm fingers holding onto his tightly. 

He rolled his eyes, unwilling to let her hand go. He wanted the closeness. He needed to be honest with himself about his motives. Just because she was treating him with respect didn't mean a thing. They barely knew each other. Affection between people was normal, commonplace. He didn't need to assign meaning to it. Given her disposition, this probably meant nothing to her. 

"I know what you're thinking" she told him gently. 

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, the blood running cold in his arms. 

"I don't appreciate the notion that you think you know me. That you understand my motives. You may be brilliant but that doesn't give you license to be arrogant" he bit back, acting out in anger. 

As if he could be the one to talk about arrogance. She was zoning in on his feelings and he hated it. 

She stood up quickly, moss eyes flashing. She touched her nose to his, her voice eerily dark 

"I know you are scared. I came here because I wanted to help you. Because you are risking your life helping a friend. Again. You think I don't know all about your past? I do. You think I don't know that you are in hiding? I could turn you in to the Wizengamot at any time. But I won't. Because I believe in your loyalty. 

If you want me to stay here and help, you don't get to take out all your hostility on me. Do you even care that this is incredibly taxing on me? That intensive healing will take weeks to fully recover from? I have to go back to my students when I'm done here. Not to mention, I could be putting myself in danger by helping out whoever the hell Grace is. 

Because I care. Because I think you are a hero. You're not as concealed as you think. Don't bother talking to me again unless it's an apology." 

She held his gaze, refusing to cower beneath his glare. He bit his tongue, pride refusing to let him bow down. She purposefully untangled her fingers from his and stalked off to her bedroom. He spent most of his life hiding from emotion, yet here he was embroiled in a gargantuan sized war of spirits. He would almost rather face the giant snake again.   
—————-

"I know you're out there" Serena called to him later that evening. It was nearly midnight. 

He knew he was wrong. That he was deflecting. That he just wanted to protect Grace, and he didn't want to fail. He didn't need another woman to die because of his negligence. 

"Only come in here if you're going to apologize" she called out again through the door. 

He straightened his turtleneck and pushed the door open. Red cotton shorts showed off her strong thighs stationed in warrior pose with her painted toes dug into the carpet, a thin strapped grey tank top barely covered her chest, arms extended up to the sky, neck arched and eyes wide open. 

"Shall I wait?" he questioned, fully aware that he was staring. 

She beckoned him over which he obeyed, allowing himself to be positioned in front of her. Hands on his hips, she guided him into a modified warrior pose, gratuitously running her hands up his ribcage to his arms, which she placed in the correct spot. 

"I used to think it was me against the universe...But you know what?" she began to speak confidently, her face pressed against his back, tip of her nose resting on his spine, hands splayed across his chest 

"Wh..what?" he managed to reply, his heart strumming 

"I started to believe that nothing was against me except myself. I accepted things and moved with the change. Maybe your life is in for a change and you're fighting it" she murmured, guiding his body back into a relaxed position. 

He turned around to look in her face, taking a risk, he placed a hand on her neck. Most would have missed it, but she flinched. Not a grimace or fear. A flinch because she didn't want to admit she liked the touch. He knew that flinch. His touch was something she wanted. 

Leaning down cautiously, he whispered into her ear

"I'm sorry I snapped at you. You were right...I am scared. I didn't appreciate you. I'm not used to depending on others" 

He had been employing his age old tactic: hurt them before they have a chance to hurt you. 

Something in him craved contact with her. There was nothing hard about her, he could run to her and be enveloped in with welcome. Folded into her warmth. He brushed his knuckles down her cheek and neck, stopping at her collarbone. 

She gasped loudly, skin breaking out in goose flesh, shoulders rising quickly, grabbing onto his hips, thumbs rhythmically covering the same spot over and over. He bent down so his forehead would rest on hers, nose against hers, desperately wanting to be as close as possible, his nerves buzzing down into his bones. 

He met her gaze, sensually taking his thumb across her pouty red lips. Imagining what they would feel like on his skin. Damp and warm. Her tongue meeting his in a dance. She squinted her eyes shut, biting her lip. Gods, she was beautiful. Just a millimeter closer and he would find out what it meant to kiss a woman. 

An ear piercing shriek shattered the heavy silence around them. Immediately they pulled out their wands, running down the hall to Grace's room. He nudged in front of Serena, flicking on the light to find Grace having a night terror with Wilfred digging at the blanket, barking pitifully while trying to wake her up. 

Serena tip toed her way over, easily calming the writhing body that was about to flip off the bed. Wilfred wiggled his butt at her, jumping onto her lap as soon as she sat on the chair beside the bed. 

"I'll stay here. She needs monitored in case she tries to sleep walk" Serena told him, a bit of worry crossing her face. 

He was about to object when he thought that perhaps Grace would want another woman around in case she woke up. The sight of a man, even one she knew, in her bedroom at night may be frightening. 

Slightly disappointed that the moment was broken with Serena, combined with worry about Grace's mental health clouded his thoughts as he made his way to his bed. These next few days would prove to be very interesting indeed.   
—————————

Grace

"What happened?" she demanded to know when she woke up the next morning to find Serena asleep in the armchair beside the bed, neck bent at a grotesque angle. 

"You had a nightmare" Serena answered groggily, stretching out her limbs, toes not able to touch the floor. 

The nightmares had seemed so real. Every bad moment replaying in her mind: being whipped with a belt for bad grades, kids making fun of her and refusing to play, when she was raped by her roommates boyfriend, and the new memories that she had uncovered of being taken away from her parents. If this was how life would be from now on, she wasn't sure she wanted to continue this journey. 

"Am I going to have nightmares all the time now?" she asked, afraid to hear the answer. 

Serena dropped her eyes to the floor, trying to think of how to phrase her thoughts 

"It will get better. They won't come as often..." 

Grace closed her eyes, the hot rushing of tears hiding behind her eyelids. Perhaps it had been better to never know, to live in ignorance and believe what she had made up on her own. 

"I promise it'll get better" Serena repeated, moving over to the bed beside her. 

"How do you know that?! How do you know what I think about this? How do you know what it is like to see every bad moment? Don't try and make this seem okay when it's not!" she shouted angrily. 

Serena took a deep breath and turned to face her, jaw tightened as she spoke

"Listen, I know I annoy you. Your aura when you even look at me gets so clouded. You like facts and data, and concrete evidence. But I can't give you that. That is not my gifting. Did you ever stop to think this is how I cope? That kindness is my way of showing resilience? 

My parents let people abuse me for years because of my magic. They refused to speak to me, they still don't acknowledge my presence. They tell people I'm dead. I don't want anyone else to ever feel that way. I don't want you to feel that way. I want you to know who you are. 

I know this is hard, and it's not fair. It sucks. But I do know what you're going through. We're very different women but we need to come together so you can get answers. So you can find out what you're destined for. Okay?" 

Grace looked down in her lap, face burning in embarrassment. She didn't bother to think that maybe Serena had a tough life. She had been on survivor mode, solo mode, for so long that it hadn't occurred to her to try and think through someone else's position. To try and empathize. The sunshine and rainbows outlook wasn't a routine, it was a coping mechanism. She had retrained her brain to give others the love and care she hadn't received. That was strength. 

"I'm sorry Serena..." she apologized clumsily. 

"Thank you. We are stronger together, brains and heart. We can conquer everything" Serena replied, offering her hand to shake. 

Grace took it, ready to finish what they started. 

———————-

It had been two weeks. Two weeks of waking from nightmare interrupted sleep, days full of unearthing treasure troves worth of memories, and making herself talk to Severus and Serena about them. Learning to discuss her thoughts with others, and not simply dictate orders. 

Although she was still doing plenty of that, running her business remotely. Her team of five didn't know where she was, only that she had personal matters to attend to. She didn't know how long she could keep that up. 

The blanks in her life were beginning to fill themselves in. Her birth name was Aelin Laurent-Botha. Her parents names were Jean-Luc and Amalhe. The memories showed them speaking to dozens of people, spending time with her, and their nearly idyllic life. 

The last memory that Serena helped her uncover was one that her parents magically planted in her mind, it was a call to action of sorts. That if she ever found these memories, to find them. To continue their legacy, whatever that meant. 

Severus appeared reserved even after he saw the memories in the Pensieve. She got the feeling that he knew more about her parents than he was letting on. When Minerva came through intermittently, they spoke in hushed tones and made sure that she wasn't close enough to overhear. She wished Severus would be more excited, but he made sure to hedge in his compliments with warnings about looking before leaping. 

They all sat around the table on a Sunday night with steaming mugs of orange spiced tea. The sky was dark with bright twinkling stars, the wind howling through the trees in the backyard. Severus took out a slip of paper from his pocket and slid it across the table to her. 

It was a business card with the name Josip Babic. The name of the man from her memories. The one who had been following her. She had called him uncle. 

"He gave that to me when he came to the store" Severus informed her, waiting for her response. 

She held it in her hands, turning it over, not knowing what she was looking for. She had been within feet of a possible family member. Someone who knew her parents. Who was actively seeking her to get them back together. And she had run away. She thought back to all those times she had seen him, as young as age eight, three years after her parents let her go. 

Was he protecting her? Checking to make sure she was alive? Reporting her location to her parents? She couldn't possibly have known that he was safe, but hindsight made her angry that she had missed the opportunities. Maybe he still wasn't safe. 

"What are we going to do with it?" she asked him, hoping that he would answer in the way she wanted. 

He glanced at Serena, who smiled encouragingly. He didn't look certain about what he was about to say. 

Taking a deep breath he announced

"I think it's time we meet him."


	14. The Choice To Begin

Severus

Minerva and Serena had suggested letting Josip meet Grace. He nearly cursed them both. He had read Josip's mind, he knew he had a loose moral character. He didn't have standards. But, as his friends pointed out, a meeting with strict supervision to protect Grace from any magical intervention would be better than the alternative which was him inevitably finding her and taking her somewhere unknown. The need to belong was so strong it made people do stupid things. He knew that better than anyone. 

He couldn't mistake the excitement that broke out on Grace's face when he told her that they would contact Josip. She wanted to connect to her past, to discover who she could have been. But he didn't have the heart to tell her that her parents had been race purists. That the people at those rallies were pure blood fanatics, bound and determined to rid the world of "inferiority" even if that meant people like their own daughter. 

He laid back on his bed, thinking through the next course of action. Grace's parents weren't loud in their anarchy. They remained under the radar, using different aliases, Polyjuice potion disguises, small and secure meetups with only a few people in order to spread their ideals. Not that he knew what those ideals even were. The coups were not necessarily staged by them, and if they were their names were never verified. It was suspected but not proven. They were the instigators herding up troops, only to turn tail and hide when the battle became real. 

His stomach twisted when he realized that tonight was his last night to talk with Serena. They had spent every night talking since that second day. The conversation came easily, both lighthearted topics and deep. She laughed at his dry witted jokes, gave insightful knowledge into his latest queries in Potions making, and explained to him her latest Charms spells that she was trying to complete. Her presence made him relax, but he wasn't sure if that was her Healer nature or something more. He wanted to go to her room, it was already fifteen minutes past when they would normally meet. 

He didn't want to give into his desires. He wasn't sure if they were honorable. Did he enjoy being with her simply because she made his pain go away, or because they truly got along on a higher level. Perhaps it wasn't wrong to simply be attracted to a smart woman who quite possibly found him just as alluring. 

It was different for him to have a woman interested in him. She made it abundantly clear that she was interested in him. Willing to talk with him about any subject. Spend all of her spare time with him. Touch his arm when she passed by. Serve him tea. Heal without asking. Respect him. All of this was new and he hated fumbling around in unknown situations. 

"Severus, can I come in?" came Serena's mellow voice from the hallway. 

He opened up the door from his bed, and shut it behind her. Her blue night dress was thin silk and very short on her legs. She laughed as she hopped up onto the high bed

"You're very theatrical, you know that?" 

He gave her a small smile. He supposed he did have a flair for the dramatic. 

She sat beside his thighs, legs crisscrossed at the ankles. The silence between them was heavy, the unspoken tension hanging precariously. He reached out his hand, taking a chance, caressing the smooth skin of her knee. She didn't pull away. 

"I'm going back to Ilvermorny tomorrow morning" she started, her voice small and uncertain. 

He wanted to ask her to come with them. But that wouldn't be prudent. If it came down to it, he wouldn't know which woman to save. Serena was a powerful witch, she could hold her own. He held both in such high regard, he knew he would take the fall for either. Knowing that she would be safe at her school gave him some comfort. But when would he see her again? 

"Do you regret coming here?" he asked her, his hand still on her knee. 

She looked up, eyes bright with tears, a knife twisted in his chest. She was upset. 

"No. I helped Grace get a part of her life back. And...I met you. If I'm being honest, that meant more to me. Getting to be around you every day. I've never met anyone that I've gotten along with so quickly" 

His heart jumped at hearing those words. He hadn't been imagining the reciprocity between them. He decided to take a chance because he didn't want any regrets. He didn't know what he was doing. But he needed to do it. 

"Come here" 

In a second she was in his lap, head buried in his neck, short breaths hot on his skin, her thick legs straddled over his, fingers tangled deep into his hair. He wanted to touch her whole body, hold it against him, every curve. 

"Take this" she told him a few minutes later, handing him a small pink rock that she pulled out of a tiny pocket in her nightgown 

He held the smooth stone, no more than two inches in diameter. 

"It's a port key. If you two get in trouble, use it. It will take you to my apartment in the states. Stay there as long as you need to. I want you both safe..." she explained, resting her chest against him before continuing 

"I'm being very selfish because I don't want you to go...I want to get to know you more. But I know you're a good man. And your loyalty is not with me at this moment" 

She was right. She had been dropped into the middle of a pre-existing relationship with its own complexities. She had entered in the middle of a mission, and he wouldn't abandon it. Perhaps deviating from the objective for a moment would be acceptable...

"I have very much enjoyed our time together..." he managed to tell her, voice strained at the effort being used to disguise his desire before she leaned in towards his face, steadying herself with her hands on his shoulders. 

Her curls tickled against his neck like grass as she placed three featherlight kisses on his temple, cheekbone, and beside his lip. He couldn't hold back the groan this time. 

She blushed immediately, touching her nose to his, her breath against his lips smelled of cinnamon

"I've wanted to do this..." she ran her hands down his chest, kissing his neck with a gentle graze of her teeth and trail of her tongue 

"I've wanted that too...and this" he added, allowing his hands to roam over her backside and up her spine, under her night dress. 

What lovely foreign country for him to acquaint himself with. 

"I want to know what it's like to kiss you. I want to know how your lips feel against mine" she admitted shyly, looking up at him through her eyelashes 

He gently placed two hands on her cheeks, taking time to memorize the way her eyes looked at this exact moment; anticipatory, trusting, and dilated wide enough that only a thin sliver of brown shown through. Pure lust. 

They may not end up together, but he would remember this moment as a time that he recognized mutual affection. That someone wanted him just as much as he wanted them. 

"I have wondered myself what that would feel like...Perhaps we shouldn't theorize anymore" he joked drily, lips burning with the need to connect 

Together they leaned in, lips molding to the other, contented moans fueling the fire for more. His lips were demanding, he wanted to taste her again. Years of ignorance left him wanting more. Pulling her closer, his lips made a rhythm with hers, kissing until it hurt; their mouths swollen and nearly blistered, ragged breathing making the world spin. He didn't need to look, he knew his neck was love marked. 

Her hands burned against his skin as she pulled off his shirt. He groaned, throwing his head back, enjoying the feel of her tongue against his chest. He didn't know if it was acceptable but he tossed her night dress onto the floor. Ample chest heaving underneath a lacy navy bra, he noted scars across her stomach, long and jagged. 

Anger surged as he fought down the impulse to demand who had hurt her. 

She growled, attacking his lips, pressing her chest into him, groaning his name as she kissed his scar. He wasn't ashamed of it with her. He bucked up into her, erection straining. 

It was the next moment that determined what would happen. She held her forehead to his, her cheeks slightly damp with tears and sweat. He kissed her, the salt lingering on his tongue. 

"I don't need you to have sex with me for me to know this was real..." she whispered, biting his shoulder. 

"Of course it's real. Do you want to stop?" he whispered back

She shook her head no, laughing nervously. He decided to take another risk and slipped his finger into her panties, finding the moist bundle of nerves easily. 

She cried out into his shoulder, grinding her pelvis against his hand. He felt the tears dripping from her eyes as she shuddered and gasped against him. The love and need was radiating off of her in waves. Covering him but not drowning. She deserved all of it. 

"Let me..." she hoarsely demanded, unzipping his slacks. 

He needed her to touch him. To quench the raging inferno that had been unleashed. Everything was happening so fast he didn't have time to question or pick apart the ethics of the situation. To question if he was ready. If this would damage his relationship with Grace.   
Their bodies moved together as if they had known each other for years. He hadn't felt need so raw in his life. Desperation. Her hand gripped him, up and down, just the perfect rhythm. He called out to her, kissing her deeply as he came. 

Performing a quick cleanse, she laid against him, her body small and sated. He wrapped them up in the blanket, breath returning to normal. He wanted her against him. To feel that security. 

She spoke up with false bravado 

"We both know what has to happen now. I'll be there for you both in any way that I can. We don't have to talk about this again. This was just right place, wrong time. Am I correct?" 

She was correct. It wasn't that he was chained to Grace, like she was a burden. She was anything but. He enjoyed her company and found her razor sharp wit and factual know-how very intriguing. Serena was an unexpected surprise. A friend to encourage him before he set out on an unknown journey. Someone to be the balm to his weary soul. A quick burst of love and acceptance. Something to remember. A reminder that he was human. Hopefully he had been that to her as well. 

"This was the right place and the right time. We have encouraged each other. We've been just what the other needed. We understand each other. We can always remember this. I think that is more than real" he confessed boldly, twisting a lock of curl around his finger. 

"Can I stay here tonight...With you? This one time? I have the feeling it's going to be my only chance" she asked hopefully, tucking his hair behind his ear in a gesture that made his heart ache in a new and unfamiliar way. 

He nodded, scooting over so she could lay down next to him. Her body fit exactly against his, coconut and rose shampoo surrounding him. She nestled in as close as she could, bare legs and arms tossed over his. He held her tightly, unsure of what to do next. 

"Enjoy being safe. You won't have that after tonight" she suggested, hands finding every nook and cranny of his body, dropping errant kisses on his neck and shoulders, lulling him into a deep sense of security. 

He relaxed against her, soaking up the moment before setting out to seek the unknown in the morning. 

—————————-

"Good morning" Grace greeted him slyly as he walked into the dining room the next morning. 

He nodded his acknowledgment, pouring boiling water over his tea bag. 

"Serena left?" she asked innocently, suspicious undertone 

"I suppose so. Her students returned from break today" he answered nonchalantly 

"Did you have a good night?" she asked in that same sneaky tone. 

He answered concisely

"Yes, it was fine" 

She hiked up her eyebrow, a knowing grin sliding up her face

"Who...I mean, what did you do?" 

His head snapped up, becoming a little irritated at this line of questioning. 

"Why are you asking me these inane questions?" 

She burst out laughing, which she was not prone to do so early in the morning and pointed at his neck. Damn it! He resisted the urge to slap his hand to his neck. He hadn't thought to use a vanishing charm. 

A small ball of pride formed in his chest when he remembered how he made Serena gasp and moan with his kisses and touches. How he made her come against his palm so easily. He wasn't ashamed but he didn't intend on showing off what he did in private with anyone. 

"So that's your type huh?" she continued curiously as they continued to eat breakfast in awkward silence 

"What do you mean?" he growled, choosing to ignore her baiting 

"You know. Your type. You like a cute, smart witch. One who wears adorable dresses and is utterly feminine. She knows all kinds of magic and honestly she's kind of scary. She would kill you with a smile on her face. She's almost too perfect. That's your kind of woman" she announced with a grin 

"I do not have a type. You are way off base" he deflected. 

He hadn't dated enough women to have a type. 

"Oh whatever. Do you just like witches? Smart magical ladies? Is that a requirement?" she teased, moving closer to him, waving a fake wand in the air 

"Grace, please" he rolled his eyes annoyed at her insistence, guilt rising in his throat 

"Do you like...what are they called again? Muggles? Regular old people? Do they have to be smart or can they be average? How high are your standards?" she asked with a glint of mischief in her eye 

"I've never dated a Muggle but I see no reason as to why I wouldn't" he decided to give a little, hoping she would quit 

"Oh my god. Did she call you sir?! Do you guys 'Professor' each other?!" she continued on, dancing around him like a giddy child 

He shook his head, a smile threatening to show up on his face. 

"Would you date someone like me? A Squib?" she questioned, her silly voice trying to disguise genuine fear at his response 

"I've never met someone like you...but magical blood status means nothing to me" he assured her, making sure he didn't break eye contact

"I get it. You like women who make you feel good. Soft women. Sweet women. You like someone who comforts you. I bet she laughed at all your jokes and agreed with everything you said. All of those innocent little arm touches she did, always staring at you, smiling at you when you talked even if you just asked for more salt; which will kill you by the way...Did she tell you that you were the best she ever had? I thought you would like a woman with more...Teeth. Someone who would give you more push back, someone like..." she ranted on, her expression alight with folly, before she realized how close she was to his face, nose to nose. 

"Someone like who?" he asked, not pulling away. 

Not bothering to correct her, not wanting to tell her that she was wrong about Serena. 

She noticed more than he thought. All the tiny things that Serena had done, she noticed. Why would she pay attention unless she cared deeper than she let on? Unless she was jealous. Or concerned. 

Her face went white, smile fading 

"Someone like who, Grace?" he asked softly, noticing that her green eyes were flecked with gold 

She pulled herself together, rolling her eyes for good measure, sliding off the table before redirecting the conversation 

"I'm glad you got to have a little fun, these two weeks were probably boring for you" 

"I didn't have sex with her" he admitted, not sure that he should be ashamed of that. 

Her eyes widened as she yelled indignantly 

"What?! Why the hell not? She was totally into you. She wasn't even conspicuous about it. I thought she was going to jump you at the dinner table. Are you kidding me that you weren't into that?" 

He shrugged his shoulders before replying as neutrally as possible

"That's not really any of your business, is it?" 

She crossed her arms over her chest, staring at him while trying to decide how to respond, very much resembling a lioness deciding when to pounce on her prey 

"You don't want to tell me, that's fine. But you don't have to be an ass. When are we going to contact Josip?"

He waited until his voice was even before he told her that they would meet at a small tea shop in London later that afternoon. He had checked it out the past week during one of the last healing sessions when he realized that a meeting with Josip was unavoidable. Owned by two wizards, there were magical safeguards in place to prevent any kind of dangerous wand work. Although, if he read the situation correctly, Josip was simply the muscle behind the operation. 

"Do not drink or eat anything that he offers you. He tried to buy truth telling potion from me illegally before, there's no telling what he might do if given the chance" he warned her, aware that he sounded paranoid 

"Sounds like the same advice I got on my first date" she whipped back cheekily, but gave him a nod to show she understood.

He was not looking forward to this at all.   
———————-

"It's really weird that you changed your face" she mentioned quietly as they sat at a table against the back wall of the coffee shop. 

"It's a simple charm. Keep your legs under control, it feels like an earthquake over here. He won't trust you if you're so jumpy" he replied sharply, his scalp slightly aching from the hair tie that he never wore. 

She took a deep breath, placing her palms on her knees to keep them from shaking. He knew she was nervous but Josip didn't need to know that. Being calm and collected in the face of nerves gave one the upper hand. 

From out of a darkened corner on the far wall, Josip walked towards them. His expression revealed nothing until he came closer and rested his eyes upon Grace. Less than a foot between them, Severus looked for a hand twitch, or anything signaling a wand grab. Nothing. Josip was simply staring. To her credit, Grace sat straight and stone faced, staring him down as if she was queen of the earth. 

"Is it really you?" Josip asked, thick Eastern European accent cloaking his words. 

"Depends on who you think I am" she answered cryptically. 

That was a good beginning. 

He pulled out a chair, acknowledging Severus, easing himself down with his palms up. He knew the drill. He laid his wand on the table, mid length made of blackthorne wood. Wand lore said the wand and the owner needed to bond through peril to perform well. It was a possible theory. 

Out of his jacket pocket he pulled out a doll. Long brown hair topped with a silver crown full of plastic rubies, bright green eyes, a long pink dress, and well worn arms and legs. He laid it on the table as if it were an offering of peace or a symbolic gesture. 

Severus looked at Grace, eyes laser focused on the doll, her fingers jammed together in her lap fighting to stay there. He recalled the memories of her as a tiny child running with that doll, sleeping with it, braiding its hair...It was very cunning of him to bring something with such a strong emotional attachment to prove his trustworthiness. 

"I thought you might like it back" he offered after a few moments of silence. 

"Why didn't I have it in the first place?" she countered, voice painstakingly neutral. 

"Your mother wanted to keep it..." he answered, voice trailing off. 

"Why don't we properly introduce ourselves before we get too far ahead?" Severus suggested, trying to take the lead. 

"I am Josip. Jean-Luc was my best friend. We met at the Quidditch World Cup when we were teenagers. I attended Durmstrang Academy. How about you, potions master?" he sat back in his chair, at ease. 

"I am Alistair Prince. Potions master. I am a very private man, with a small circle of acquaintances. My business runs well because of its anonymity" he replied coolly 

The two of them stared at each other. Severus was not afraid of this muscle man. He could stare down with the best; he was doing this man a favor by not delving into the recesses of his mind. 

"If anyone cares, I'm Grace. Formerly known as Aelin" she broke the tense silence, hands at the edge of the table still not touching the doll. 

Josip smiled, displaying straight and white teeth, eyes crinkling at the corners 

"Je suis ton oncle" he spoke in French, tilting his head down in submission. 

She shook her head, she was playing this close to the vest "I don't have any family" 

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, looking between the two of them. Neither one would speak out of nervousness, it was a trait they had perfected. 

"You could come with me. To meet your family" Josip offered earnestly, palms up on the table. 

Severus' sat up straighter, fighting the urge to grab Grace's hand. He didn't want her to leave with Josip. He could disappear easily with her, put her under the Imperius curse, mind train her, or give her away to the highest bidder. Life was still improving in the magical world for Squibs and he didn't want Grace, in her ignorance to fall prey to those with less than savory plans. 

She looked up at him, expression torn. She casually scratched her temple. For a moment he was confused, then he understood. Look into her mind. 

She showed images of her walking away with him, not Josip. She didn't want to tell him herself, but he could do that. 

"We would prefer another meeting with you. Somewhere else. We need proof that this isn't some sort of trick. You and I both know that Grace knows nothing of the magical world and for her to trust you after all this time? Because you brought back a child's toy?" Severus explained strongly, his voice unwavering. 

Josip was hoping to play on some sort of emotional weakness, to dig into the fact that Grace somehow owed him something. Manipulation was an art form and his skills were rudimentary at best. Grace was not one to be fooled so easily. 

Josip sat forward in his seat "I've spent my life watching over you Aelin. I knew where you were. I found you. I made sure you were safe" 

Grace's eyes sparked and then she laughed. A menacing laugh that sent shivers up his spine. Oh no. Perhaps it was good that she wasn't magical. 

"My name is Grace. You made sure I was safe? I was never safe. I had a place to stay but when you live with wolves is that safe? No. It is laughable that you think spying on someone for their whole life and never intervening is commendable. You're a joke. You think I'll come with you because of some sense of family? Please..." she spat out, her words burning.

"It would be a mistake not to come" he began, his voice barely above a whisper, head cocking to the side. 

Severus' heart beat faster, non-verbally summoning Josip's wand to himself. He held it up in a display of power. He would not be bested by an amateur wizard. Josip bit his lip, hands gripping the edge of the table. 

"Do not threaten me. It won't end well for you. You should leave now. We'll be in touch" Severus suggested. 

Josip stood up menacingly, veins popping up on his hand from his grip on the wand

"Are you going to let him decide things for you Aelin? A man who knows nothing of your power? He should be bowing to you" he tossed out the thinly veiled insult mixed with a power grab in a last ditch attempt to sway her to leave with him. 

"Yeah. I am. Get out" she replied calmly, not breaking eye contact. 

He looked around before disapparating and disappeared with a crack. She held up the doll, running her finger down the arm. 

"Grace" he begin but she shook her head, prompting him to stay quiet. 

"I named her Poppy. Why would I want to keep this...It's just a reminder of a life that I couldn't have" she spoke slowly, poking at the doll as if it were a gross lab specimen. 

He performed a revealing charm, the doll lifting off the table. Blue light followed by purple emitted from the abdomen: a tracking and memory charm. 

"He put a tracker on it and charmed it to record what we say" he broke the news to her as she watched the light dissipate. 

"My parents weren't good people, were they?" she asked hoarsely, her eyes splashing over with tears, refusing to look up from the table. 

"No, they weren't" he placed a hand on her shoulder, unfamiliar with how to break bad news to someone that he cared about. The last time he had done this was when he told Albus that the curse was spreading and he would die soon. 

Hopefully, this time he wouldn't have to kill anyone. Not that he wouldn't. 

He conjured up a tissue and wiped away the tears from her cheek. Her shoulders had started to shake silently. 

"Don't be nice to me right now. It just makes me feel worse. Because if you're being nice then it means the situation is totally fucked. Say something normal" she demanded, taking the tissue away from him. 

"Wipe your face. We've got work to do" he stood up, holding out his elbow to her. 

She took it, burying her face in his chest in a position that was becoming very comfortable to him. He would need to call in reinforcements.


	15. Help

This will be a short chapter but the next one will be full of adventure, I promise! 

Severus 

"Wilfred will be fine with Minerva. There are animals at the school, and there's no way he can escape" Severus assured Grace that evening as they planned out the next portion of their trip. 

She squeezed him tightly to her chest, burying her face in his neck rolls 

"I don't want to lose him...He's my favorite thing. Promise me he won't get hurt" she demanded, words muffled around his fur 

Minerva stepped in, wand out, casting a short protection spell 

"He will be safe, and he will get an extraordinary amount of attention. Especially with this...outfit" 

Grace gave him one last kiss, laughing at his fat body wedged in his dog tee shirt like a sausage. He needed to stay somewhere safe, and he needed to be taken care of if anything happened to her. A magical castle with hundreds of kids seemed the most logical solution. He happily squirmed over to Minerva, who patted him affectionately. 

"I expect to hear from you both soon" she advised, worry not so hidden in her words. 

"I will owl you as soon as we find a resting spot" he assured her, miniaturizing their luggage to fit into his backpack. 

And with that she popped away, the house suddenly silent. 

"He better still be a dog when I get him back" she threatened, pressing her palms into her eyes. 

He wished they didn't have to separate. But a mission is easier with less attachment.

"Minerva is the best in the world at transfiguration. He won't be a toad for long" he joked with his signature smirk. 

"You're an ass" she commented, palms still shoved in her eyes. 

"As I've been told" he replied calmly, tentatively touching her shoulder. 

"Don't soft touch me. I'll be fine. Where are we going first?" she snapped, shrugging his hand off her shoulder. 

He fought back exasperation at her obvious stonewalling as he told her 

"I have a plan but it might backfire and we need to be cautious" 

She nodded, taking his arm, ready to aparate. 

His plan was to have Grace ambush Hermione Granger. To have Grace drop a memory that only the two of them would share. And to see how she reacted. The plan hinged on her reaction. He figured she would be more level headed than the other two thirds of the golden trio. She had a soft heart who had seen a lot of death. Maybe she would be ready for some reconciliation. 

They stood front of the ministry now, completely turned over in leadership. The memories from his time at Hogwarts came rushing back. All the emotion making a resurgence. He had to fight through it. This battle wasn't about him. 

Grounding himself, he took notice of the fresh faced young adults helping to make the world better. He had to have some grain of hope. He pointed out Hermione, sitting at a bench eating her lunch with a book in hand. 

"That is Hermione Granger. She was my student. It was my job to protect the life of her best friend. They all hated me. I played my part of the evil teacher rather well...I'm going to tell you what to say, and don't deviate" 

Grace listened intently, her mind easily memorizing the information. For once she didn't ask any questions. She casually walked over to Hermione, who was clothed in a lovely cream sweater and black slacks. 

"Hello Hermione, may I sit?" Grace asked kindly, offering a wide smile. 

Hermione's eyes narrowed, glancing up and down Grace's body and around the perimeter for any signs of danger. 

"Do we know each other?" she asked Grace, motioning for her to sit. 

"We don't personally but I've heard a lot. Including the time you were an insufferable know it all in a Potions class" Grace repeated verbatim what Severus said. 

Hermione's eyes widened as she whispered "What?" 

"Or the time you stole items for poly juice potion. Or when your friends ran a car into the whomping willow...Or when you watched Professor Snape die..." Grace whispered softly, emoting very well considering the situation. 

Mouth agape, he watched as Hermione pulled her wand out and slyly pointed it at Grace's leg under the table 

"How do you know those things? Who sent you?" 

Grace whispered back with her hands on the table "I'm a Squib. I can't hurt you. No magic. I want to show you something" 

Hermione relaxed a little at the jargon, nodding her acceptance. Grace pulled out a small photo album and laid it flat on the table. He knew it contained pictures from the last year of them together. In the yard. At plays. In New York City. Proof of life. 

Hermione stared at them, mind quickly processing this new information. She glanced around, presumedly to see if he was lurking. Of course her intuition was right, he was two tables away. But he had charmed his appearance. She would never notice him. 

"That's not possible. I saw him die. The snake killed him. I saw it. I still see it" she spoke vehemently, voice wavering with emotion. 

"Or did you just believe what you thought you saw? Where was his body? It was gone" Grace questioned, not understanding a thing she was saying. But obviously it was working. 

"But how? He was bleeding to death. We took his memories" Hermione stared in her face, looking for answers. 

"He used a bezoar stone and apparated to a muggle hospital. He's been in hiding as a freelance potions master. My name is Grace Jennings and Severus is my friend. And now he's helping me find my parents. We need your help. If you can..." Grace told her, eyes downcast in quiet desperation. 

Hermione stared at her, judging the situation. He waited with baited breath, hoping down to his marrow that he knew miss Granger as well as he thought. 

"I want to believe you. But I need proof. You bring him to my apartment tonight. Tell him I won't bring Harry or Ron even though they're searching for him." 

They shook hands and Hermione quickly disappeared back into the ministry building as if trying to outrun a ghost.

—————

Grace knocked on the apartment door that evening. Severus stood to the side, waiting to be invited in. Hermione opened the door cautiously, welcoming her and expectantly searching for Severus. 

He took a deep breath, ready to reveal himself for the first time in over three years. Perhaps he would be a bit of a let down. 

"Hello Miss Granger" he greeted her in his signature baritone, shutting the door behind him. 

Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes overflowing with tears before she unceremoniously jumped onto him and wrapped him in a bone crushing hug

"I'm so sorry Professor. I didn't know and I wish I did...I'm so sorry we didn't believe you. You were protecting us the whole time..." 

He allowed her to hug him, tears freely falling down her cheeks. Awkwardly patting her back he apologized

"I'm sorry too Miss Granger. I took way too many liberties and I hurt you...We all had choices to make." 

Grace watched this exchange, eyebrow raised and lightning fast mind putting together the missing puzzle pieces. Hermione stepped back, sniffling but with a hint of a smile as she gazed up at him

"How can I help?"


	16. Seek and Find

"We thought he hated us...I suppose he might have but for different reasons" Hermione informed her as they sat in front of the ministry the next day. 

She sat quietly, not sure of what to say. After Severus had gone to bed last night, the two of them had stayed up talking. Hermione grew up without magic, and it was nice to speak to someone "normal." 

She told her what life as a Squib entailed. She was kind but spared no harshness. She went into detail about the war. Detail that Severus didn't want to indulge upon. Information that had eerie trademarks of a race war. It would take decades for the wizarding world to recover from the devastation. A whole generation of lives traumatized by violence and death. 

"Snape became a hero. He wasn't one at first. I think somewhere along the way he found that good was more worthwhile than evil. Harry is dead set on finding him. I've told him to leave it alone, but...You can't tell him anything" Hermione continued, a small smile perking up her face at the mention of her best friend. 

"He really was second in command to the wizard Hitler?" she confirmed, wanting to make sure all of the stories made sense 

"Yes. But he was also second in command to the greatest and most honorable wizard. He chose the right side...For love. Of course he went about it like an absolute asshole. And I'm not one to forgive easily. But I understand it. I can't imagine all that he had to live with on his conscience...And still must live with" Hermione mused aloud, tossing her coffee cup in the garbage can beside them. 

"He really took care of you guys for all of those years...Because he loved your friends mom?" she asked incredulously, not wanting to believe it. 

Love couldn't possibly make someone risk that. 

There had to be another reason. Risking your life for a memory seemed antithetical to everything that Severus stood for. 

"I don't know what he told you. But those memories were really cruel. He didn't live a good life...Harry's mom was his only friend and he lost her because he made bad choices. I guess he was alone...No family. He clung onto what little hope he had I suppose. But, you two seem close now. Friends?" Hermione pushed on, encouraging nod to keep the conversation going 

"Yeah...He is smart, brave, rude as hell, sarcastic...I really like him" she admitted, breath rushing out of her. 

Hermione laughed, shaking her head "Sounds about right. I wondered. He very obviously cares for you too. And he trusted me with you...Makes me pretty nervous. If we get questioned, you're a transfer interim employee from the States. We've been getting a few from Ireland and Spain so it's not outrageous. Otherwise let me talk" 

She nodded, quickly tapping her face to calm her nerves. They were going into the classified records. Deep into the vaults. Highly restricted. Hermione was hoping that her clout as a war hero could get her past the guards. 

Before they left the apartment that morning, Severus gave her a pink rock and explained to her that if she got into trouble to tell Hermione that it was a "port-key" and it would take them to a safe place. Magic made no sense to her and in complete opposition to how she lived her life, she didn't question him. 

"Good morning Alfred, this is a new interim clerk from the States. Grace. She'll be working with me today" Hermione told the guard confidently as they strode into the ministry building. 

The burly man looked down his wide nose at her, taking in her appearance and then moving aside to allow them to pass. Hermione flashed her badge at the next checkpoint and they made their way down a long hallway of doors. People flew in and out, every which way, letters zooming overhead, trolleys rolling themselves, owls swooping and curling around lamp fixtures. 

"This is the records room. Fairly innocuous. We can check and see if there's any information on your birth. Were you born in England?" Hermione asked her as they entered a seemingly endless room full of files. It was dizzying. 

"I don't know where I was born. My name was Aelin Laurent Botha" she whispered, the formidable silence of the records room had her nerves resting on eggshells. 

Hermione summoned the records to their table. A few Manila envelopes. With information about her. Opening up the first was a hand written certificate 

"Aelin Laurent-Botha. Born October 25, 1973. Parents: Jean-Luc Laurent, Amahle Botha. Birthplace: London, England. Weight: 3/4 stone, length: 48 cm. Eyes: green. Hair: brown." 

The next page was a newspaper clipping with the headline "Neo-Purist Uprising" complete with a blurry picture of dozens of people with wands in the air. The article had a small section condemning the purist rhetoric of extremists Laurent and Botha. 

"My parents were really bad people. Weren't they?" she whispered to Hermione, who was subconsciously rubbing her right forearm. 

"Possibly. It appears that way..." she answered honestly, summoning any paper with her parents name attached 

Several articles floated their way, all suspecting the pair of inciting riots and building up a coalition of pure blood wizards but nothing could be proven. Her parents were Teflon. They kept on the move, growing followers and passing on the dirty work to them before they could get caught.

"That's it? A few articles?" she grumbled, hands on her temples in exasperation. 

"We could try Gringotts. It's where people put away secret stuff in vaults. It's goblin run so it's very secure" Hermione wondered aloud, taking her elbow and sending the papers back into their places. 

"What the hell is a goblin?" she asked grumpily

"Wait and see" Hermione teased back, clearly enjoying her ignorance. 

They ended up in front of a gigantic labyrinth of stone. Together they walked into what appeared to be a well managed bank. She fought to keep her comments to herself as she came face to face with a tiny, angry creature with the wildest hair and biggest nose she had ever seen. He peered down at her over his glasses 

"How can I help you?" 

Hermione smiled sweetly before answering "My friend would like to get into her vault" 

He turned his attention to Grace, staring into her eyes, narrowing them to near closure before asking "name?" 

She cleared her throat answering in what she hoped was a confident voice

"Aelin Laurent-Botha" 

His long finger scanned the page for literal minutes 

"Identification?" 

Her heart skipped a beat because she didn't have any ID. Hermione quickly shoved the birth certificate in front of him. She must have slipped it in her bag. 

He inspected it and made a sound of acknowledgment, begrudgingly motioning for them to follow him. Down a long tunnel. Up some stone stairs. Down more dark stairs. The hallway was narrowing. The air was getting colder and she didn't want to keep going. But she had to. 

"Vault 357. Hand out" the tiny goblin demanded

"What?" she asked, hands clenching in nervousness. 

He was creepy as hell. 

"This vault requires authorization. Hand. Out" he spoke slowly, hand outstretched and waiting 

Glancing at Hermione, who nodded, she held her hand out to the gnome like figure. He ran his finger down across her hand. Turning, he opened the vault and stepped aside for her to look. 

Stepping inside, there was wall to wall gold coins; Hermione stood with mouth agape. Apparently, this was a lot of money. She didn't want the money. She wanted answers. 

"Is there anything else? Another vault?" she desperately asked the goblin, fighting back tears. 

He tilted up his chin and answered mysteriously "only to those who ask" 

"I just asked didn't I?" she threw back testily, the small creature furrowing his eyebrows 

"Sir" Hermione tacked on hastily, smoothing the goblins ruffled feathers. 

"Please" Grace supplicated, not wanting to die in an underground vault because some medieval type ghoul got mad at her. 

He seemed satisfied with that, and walked over to the furthest wall. His long tipped finger stroked a certain spot three times, whispered something to the air and the wall opened up.

He handed her a sealed piece of paper and a necklace encased in a glass carrier with the same insignia written in frosted glass. It was the same sign that was inscribed on her memento box. Carefully placing them into her bag she asked if that was all. 

"All the answers are in plain sight" he told her with a lilt to his voice. 

She fought back an eye roll, the three of them walking back out into the main lobby of the bank. Squinting, she looked around at the magnificent high dome ceiling and the dozens of squat goblins milling around. They definitely held a quiet and ancient power. Several stopped to stare at her. 

"What are they looking at?" she asked Hermione, nerves setting in 

Hermione looked around, eyes settling on her bag "Don't look down. Your bag is glowing. I think it's the necklace. It's your property. Don't act scared" 

Shoulders thrown back and head held high they walked out of the bank quickly. 

"Done that before?" Grace joked once they were in the safety of Hermione's office. 

Taking no chances, she secured and silenced the door. 

"Actually yeah...We stole stuff from a vault" she divulged easily, laughing as she remembered their antics. 

Of course she had. 

Using her wand she lifted the necklace out of the bag so they could get a good look at it. Attached to a thick leather cord was a large uncut sapphire. It glinted in the light and seemed to have swirling material in the middle of it. 

She reached out to grab the necklace but Hermione smacked her fingertips and threw her hand down.

Eyeing it suspiciously as it floated in midair, Hermione warned her ominously

"I've had bad experiences with bewitched objects. You put that on and it could put a spell on you. It could kill you. It could be a dark object with dark magic inside. You just don't know. And I don't think we should touch it until Professor Snape sees it" 

Grace sighed. Everything in this world had the ability to be evil. Even the most benign things like a necklace. It was exhausting. No wonder Severus wanted to live in the Muggle world. 

"We cant do anything?" Grace pushed. 

"I suppose you already touched the letter...We could see how it opens" Hermione gave in, not able to hide the fact that she enjoyed a little bit of mystery. 

The seal was made in wax, deep red crimson. But it was solid as concrete. It didn't peel off. The paper wouldn't rip. It was like a practical joke, standing there with all of her might trying to rip open this single packet of papers. Hermione tried several spells to break the seal, nothing to show for it.

"You said my family are probably race purists...right? Like, your world is all about blood purity? Magical lineage?" she asked Hermione after they sat in confounded silence for the better part of a half hour. 

Hermione nodded, leaning forward to hear the newest theory. 

"Prick my finger. Don't slice it, just enough to get some blood" she told her, holding out her hand. 

Hermione tapped her wand against her skin, a painless paper cut sized incision appearing on her thumb. She pressed the dark red splotches against the wax where it looked like a fingerprint had closed it shut.

Immediately the wax disappeared and the paper lay flat against the table. She grinned both delighted and horrified at her guess. 

"Well, that's a little barbaric..." Hermione noted, trying to read the scrawling handwriting. 

"I'm afraid to read it. What if it's horrible? Worse, what if they really just loved me?" she questioned, eyes purposefully staring at the ceiling. 

Hermione shrugged, knowing that family was a murky subject. Her own family was currently recovering from their collective memory charm. It would take awhile before they remembered everything.

"Can you take me back to your apartment? I want to talk to Severus. He can read it first" Grace asked her, vulnerability at the fact that there was a whole secret world moving around her began to creep in. 

The bright sunlight stung her eyes as they walked the short distance to Hermione's apartment. But something didn't feel right. She felt the heavy presence of someone watching her. Hermione slid her hand into her coat pocket where her wand was; she felt it too. 

"What do we do?" asked Grace, still looking straight ahead, hair raised on the back of her neck 

"We'll apparate back to my place once we get around the corner, hold on tight to my arm and just keep walking" Hermione told her, eyes scanning vigilantly for any hint of trouble. 

Heart pounding and sweat beginning to form on her forehead, she turned the corner and came face to face with Josip. He grabbed her wrist, banking on her surprise. Thrashing and kicking, her legs lifted up into the air as he easily carried her down the block. It wasn't yet lunchtime and no one was outside. She didn't come this far to be taken like a child. 

"Stop fighting, I'm...trying to...help you!" he struggled to get out the words because she refused to go quietly 

Hermione ran after them, jamming her wand into his back, glancing around to make sure no one could see

"Expelliarmus!" 

He flew to the ground, appearing as if Hermione had shoved him. He dropped her roughly to the ground, landing on her wrist she heard a solid crack. The pain shot through her arm and up into her shoulder. Hermione gripped her good arm tightly, dragged her to the nearest dark corner and apparated back to the apartment.


	17. Intruder

"What happened?!" he yelled as the two women tumbled onto the floor, Grace's wrist bent and swollen 

"Someone tried to take Grace! I swear professor, I took all the precautions. I don't know how he slipped past us" Hermione told him repentantly, helping Grace up on the chair. 

"It was Josip. He said he was trying to help" Grace told him furiously, sticking out her arm to him. 

He gently took her wrist in his hand, running his fingertips along her forearm to feel the depth of the break. It didn't pop up to the skin, thankfully only a fracture. He took out his wand and easily mended the bone. 

Looking down into her eyes, jade green with gold flecks, relief washed over him that she was safe. That she wasn't hurt worse. That she was right there in front of him, unflinchingly staring back into his eyes. Her skin was soft and warm. He fought the urge to hold her hand, gently setting it down on her lap. Her gaze drifted to his mouth...or perhaps he just imagined it had. 

"Thank you Severus" Grace whispered, the ground suddenly becoming interesting. 

"Thank you for taking care of her, Hermione. You did well" he told his former student, who was still shrinking in the corner. 

A part of him regretted that he had acted in such a way that she would expect such a terrible response from him. A lot of him regretted it actually. 

She stood a little taller, cheeks blushing pink at the recognition

"Thank you sir...We did find some things that we were waiting for you to help with"

"Are you kidding me? I almost got kidnapped! Are we really just going to move on like it didn't happen? What if he comes back!" Grace jumped up, her lower lip trembling, fists curled. 

He and Hermione looked at each other, realizing that the two of them were used to risking their lives. That a near kidnapping was nothing compared to what they had seen. The hurt and fear that kept them constant companions. The vigilance and paranoia that held space at the back of their minds. They had forgotten what it was like to live in relative safety. 

"If he comes back, I will take care of him" he promised her, voice low and vaguely threatening. 

Grace growled in frustration, storming past the two of them into the spare room slamming the door shut. 

"I forget what it's like to be a normal person..." Hermione admitted, a nervous laugh accompanying her words 

"War changes us Miss Granger. You're living a new normal and I think you're doing well. That was a good hunch to go to Gringotts" he told her, vowing to make a fresh start even though it felt completely foreign to him. 

"Thank you sir..." she accepted awkwardly, shifting her feet. 

"You can call me Severus. If you want. You've earned it. Anything you ever need, please let me know" he promised her before adding "we'll be gone in the morning"

"When this is all over, and she has her answers, please let Harry find you" she instantly replied, small smirk on her face 

"You really went for it" he rubbed his forehead, knowing that she was right. 

And hating it. Apologizing was not his forte. Or eating crow.

"Im headed back to work, be safe" she smiled at him, a genuine smile, as she disappeared with a pop. 

Softly knocking on the door, he took a deep breath and entered. The bathroom door was ajar, the pitter patter of water dropping on the shower floor. Taking very measured steps and wondering what he was doing, he knocked on the bathroom door. 

"I'm currently questioning all of my life choices" she called from behind the cream colored curtain 

He smiled, that was something he could relate to. Not a day went by that he didn't question and regret choices that he had made or things he had done. If life would be better if one thing had been done differently. Pipe dreams. 

"Are you still out there?" she asked a few minutes later, her voice shaky 

"Yes" he answered back, enjoying the perfumed steam swirling around his face 

"Good" 

The silence hung as heavy as the steam. Mint and eucalyptus soothed his frayed nerves. The intimacy of the situation confused him. The two of them were friends, each afraid to make commitments. Each afraid and careful not to cross any boundaries. Life pushing them together. The water stopped. 

He held out the thick pink towel, eyes averted to the floor. She dropped to her knees beside him, wet arms and hair dripping onto his hands. He kept his eyes to the floor, knees covered by the fluffy fabric. 

"Please look at me" her voice cracked and wavered, uncharacteristically vulnerable 

Meeting her gaze, he sucked in a deep breath. Eyes wet with tears. Lips and cheeks puffed with said tears. Rich brown hair hanging in wavy strings around her face, sopping wet. Something else. Vaguely familiar. Searching. 

She reached out and awkwardly ran her thumb down his cheek. His heart thudded, she had never initiated contact with him; he didn't know that she wanted to. His lips began to burn, the desire to feel her mouth against his overpowered logic. 

What a strange, new emotion. 

"What are you doing?" he questioned softly, not wanting to push her away if she was trying to open up 

"I'm scared..." she croaked out before the tears started flowing, her arms held out, asking to be let in. 

He pulled her close, resting his chin against her bare shoulder, squeezing tightly as the tears slid down her face silently. He held back the urge to place a kiss on her collar bone...She stood up from her spot wedged beside him, towel haphazardly held in place by a clutched fist. 

He followed her choice to stand, and taking a calculated risk, slid his thumb down her cheek in the same way she had done. A sigh slipped out of her lips. 

"When Josip grabbed me, do you know the first thing I thought?" she asked him, nerves appearing as a shoulder twitch 

He shook his head, wondering what had her so shaken. 

"I was worried that I wouldn't ever see you again...That you should have been with me...And you would have kicked his ass" she admitted, throwing in a joke to lighten her statement. 

She trusted him. Needed him. Accepted him fully. This cemented all of his half thought through feelings and curiosities. Just because they were afraid, didn't mean they couldn't keep moving forward. Perhaps this wouldn't end romantically...Or maybe it would. Breathing out heavily in relief, he accepted that they were partners and had a purpose to fulfill together. 

"I should have been with you. You are more important than my pride and secrecy" he boldly admitted to her, wanting to confess all that he had been working through.

"We shouldn't have started this. Maybe we should just go into hiding together. That vault had a shit ton of money in it" she halfheartedly suggested 

"Then we would both just be cowards...Hiding from the truth. Running from it. We can't do that" he told her honestly, as much as the idea of being hidden away in a mountain somewhere made him happy, he knew it wouldn't be a long term plan. 

Both would continually be looking over their shoulder, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Living in fear of being found. That was no way to live. 

"You always have to be right, don't you?" she acquiesced, a real smile lighting up her face. 

"I don't have to. I just am" he replied cockily, stubborn streak setting in. 

"Okay then prove it. I'll show you what Hermione and I found today" she told him, flipping on her robe over the towel, tying it shut. 

Things never worked with Grace the way he thought they would. She was a continual maze and he just had to keep walking it no matter how many wrong turns he took.

Grace stifled a small shriek as she was torn out of view. He flung open the door and his heart dropped, Josip had his arm around her neck and a gun pointed at his face, steady hand on the trigger. 

"Put your hands up" came the command in a familiar thick accent 

Severus reached for his wand, but Josip stepped forward, shaking his head. He held his hands up and kept eye contact with Grace. Her face was frozen, eyes wide with fear. She wasn't fighting for once and that shook him even more. 

"I don't want to hurt you. I'm trying to help" he told them, arms still held out with the barrel locked and loaded

"Is that why you need a gun?" Grace questioned raggedly from behind his arm

"Hush!" Severus hissed at her, not wanting Josip to hurt her 

"Shut up. Get dressed. I'm going to let you go now. You're both coming with me. No magic or I shoot" he threatened, edging closer to them 

Josip was smart, he knew he could never best him with magic. If he truly was trying to help them, he had a weird way of showing it. Somehow breaking through his protection spells.

"I'm not going anywhere with you" she stated, voice unwavering even though she resembled a drowned rat, red mark across her neck from where his arm had pressed 

"Someone is coming for you. And they are going to do a lot more damage than I could. Get. Dressed. Now" he seethed, stepping to them with the gun held out. 

Severus nodded at her, giving whatever confidence he had to Josip. He wasn't threatening to take Grace alone. He wanted to take them both.

She scrambled back into the bathroom, clothes in hand. He stood protectively in front of the door, knowing that hostage situations could go downhill very fast. That a man needing to feel power over a woman could turn ugly if he wasn't given the attention he needed. Grace had been through that enough in her life. 

"I want to help. Why do you think that I've followed Grace all these years? I've been protecting her from her parents and their people" Josip told him, the gun down at his side

He easily jumped into his mind, thankful that Josip wasn't much of an intellect 

"If Jean Luc finds her, he will gladly sacrifice her. I can't let them find her. If I need to take her, I can easily kill him..." 

"There won't be any need to kill me. If you truly want to protect Grace, let me help you" he spoke smoothly to the other man, voice neutral and calm. 

Josip furrowed his eyebrows

"You can read minds? Is it true then, you were a death eater?" 

Severus nodded

"Yes. It is all true. I've taken to living a more private life. I don't live that way anymore and several people would love to see me dead" 

Josip put the gun away in his jacket pocket.

"So, all these years when you just appear, it has been to make Grace move? Because others are closing in?" Severus asked pointedly, recalling dozens of memories in which he showed up. 

"Yes. I don't want her to be hurt because she is a Squib. Her parents have done terrible things to Squib children. They belong to neither world. They are lost and easy targets. They've experimented on them...I left them when I realized what they were doing" Josip answered, eyes meeting his 

"What do they want with Grace?" Severus asked, thinking that it would be easier to hide the fact that they had a child than to continually seek her out 

"Revenge. They lost a lot of followers when people heard that they had a non-magical child. They may have loved her, but once she was gone...They love notoriety more" Josip revealed to him, eyes downcast guiltily 

Before he had a chance to respond, Grace peeked her head out of the bathroom fully clothed with a backpack on. She grabbed his hand, standing as close as she could. He looked down and met her eyes. Question clouded vision, but he nodded, squeezing her hand back tightly. 

"We will go with you. But if I suspect for one moment that you are leading us astray, I won't hesitate to kill you" Severus threatened him, although it wasn't so much a threat as a coolly calculated promise.

"Are you sure? Severus..." she whispered, her nails digging into his palm. 

"I'm not sure. But we don't have many choices" he told her honestly, walking them towards Josip. 

No good choices at all.

—————

"Where the hell are we?" Grace cursed grumpily, looking around at the dark cabin, feeling around to find a light 

"Safe house" grunted Josip, turning all the lights on with a flick of his wrist

Severus looked around, taking in the small cottage, cramped with cooking utensils and make shift furniture. 

"You know, if you wanted to hide, a muggle hotel might be the best place. Not a shack in the woods" Grace suggested snarkily, hopping onto a chair and promptly sneezing as the dust floated up into her nose. 

"You've got a sense of humor like your mother. She has a very sharp tongue too" Josip told her with a small smile, lighting the stove to heat up water. 

A wave of emotions rolled over her face as she processed what he said. He knew that feeling; being reminded of someone and not having any control over it. He felt that wave every time he looked at Harry Potter. Seeing someone there, but knowing it wasn't actually them. Wishing for that person to be there but they couldn't. 

"Are they both still alive?" Severus asked him, taking the attention off of Grace. 

"Yes. Very much so. Gaining power. Retribution is swift. The dark lord could not convince them to join his cause. When he sent messengers to them, their bodies were returned...less than whole" Josip answered solemnly 

His mind flashed back to the boxes of mutilated body parts that he had seen the lowest ranking members destroying. So many boxes. He hadn't been told what they were for and he hadn't dared to ask. The thought turned his stomach. 

"They kill people?" Grace gasped, for one second leaving her facade open 

"Yes. Possibly even take pleasure in it. I couldn't stay. Now they hunt me too. We are all just pieces to be conquered. Like a chess game. Their cause is all magical control. They won't stop until they get it. You my dear Aelin, are the squeaky wheel. The one person who can prove that they are not all powerful. We must conspire against them..." Josip spoke quietly, dropping to his knees in front of her, eyes full of contrition and defiance 

Severus closed his eyes, every space in his soul exhausted. He had been through two wars and now another. But he couldn't let them win. Justice needed to happen. Peace needed to win. But he would not sacrifice his friend to someone who fancied themselves king and queen. 

"Swear that you mean it. Swear that you won't betray me" she demanded, sticking her hand out for a handshake. 

"Very cunning to demand an unbreakable vow" Josip surmised proudly. 

Confusion fluttered over her face. Of course she hadn't meant that. She simply wanted a handshake. But perhaps this was better. 

Severus stepped forward, wand out, the last time a vow had been spoken around him clouding his mind. He pushed it down before clearing his throat 

"Josip, do you swear to protect Aelin, Grace, to the best of your abilities? Even to the end result of your own death? To continually fight for her safety against all others?" 

"And Severus' safety. Not just me. Him too" she spoke up, nodding at him while staring transfixed at the golden lights encircling their arms

"And to protect me, Severus Snape and do no harm to me in our quest. Do you swear?" 

Josip looked both of them in the eyes as the spell was set

"I swear" 

Whatever came next, they would be ready.


	18. Declarations

Grace

"No, I can't talk about it. Family stuff, you know how that goes. I'll be fine Sheridan. I'll try and be back soon. Just do what I told you. You are kicking ass. Thank you for taking the lead, I'll up your next several paychecks. Thank you, bye" she told her colleague Sheridan the next day. 

When she woke up at three am with a raccoon chewing on her blanket and spiders making a nest in her hair, she threw politeness out the window. She flicked on all the lights, abruptly shocking the two men out of their sleep on roll out cots. Pointing at the probably rabid raccoon, now happily gnawing her blanket, she threatened

"Hotel. Now. Or I summon them here myself" 

She had been keeping up with work through a landline that Minerva had installed for looks, and then on the computer that Hermione had on her desk. If she died, they would have no idea what happened to her. She couldn't tell anyone where she was, the secrecy of a whole society rested on her shoulders. But it was also likely that one of her team members had a magical relative. What an elaborate charade.

"You lied through your teeth" Severus remarked from behind a moving newspaper 

Rolling her eyes she replied back 

"Because it would be totally fine to tell her: hey, I'm just searching for my psychopath parents who are magical Nazis, who also by the way want to kill me and run the world...She would have me committed" 

He went back to reading the paper with a shake of his head. 

Looking down into the city square in Prague, she felt small. People the size of ants. Buildings older and holding more history than she could ever imagine. So many people. That meant anyone could hide anywhere. 

The paranoia was beginning to take its toll on her. Josip informed them that Jean-Luc and Amalhe were holding a secret meeting in the city that night which is why he had transported them there. When asked by Severus how he could be certain of that, he pointed to a a single palm leaf chalk drawing on a signpost. Severus told her later that palm leaves signify victory. 

Shivering at the thought of taking victory over people, she rested her head against the wall, taking a few deep gulps of air to steady her breathing. She had acted rashly at Hermione's place. Fear had taken over, the inevitability of some sort of fatal clash slammed over her head like a dish. Severus understood, and he didn't take advantage. Guilt for dragging him away from his comfortable life seeped through her shoulders, making her breaths harsh. He had already lived through murder and war...He didn't deserve this.

"I'm back, with all the things I've promised to show you" Josip announced, opening the door with a key and locking it with his wand. 

In his arms he had a box, nothing fancy. A cardboard box. What could he possibly show her? Curiosity blooming, they all gathered together on the bed. He opened the lid and began pulling out Manila folder after folder, packets of papers, and photos.

Flipping open the first folder, she saw a filed police report 

"Child aged five, found in an abandoned fishing boat in Port Miami. Female child spoke no English, appeared catatonic/mute. Was covered in excrement from days at sea. No clear departure port. Only possessions included a wooden inscribed box filled with knick knacks. Female child was given the name Grace Jennings at the department of child services in Miami, Florida" 

She bit her lip and forced herself to keep reading a second report, written from her first foster family 

"Grace is slowly learning English. She is very quiet. She insists on riding my broom around like some form of Halloween witch. She giggles and says "Papa!" while riding the broom around. Her therapist has no idea what to do. She speaks a mixture of French and German when she does talk. She carries around a stick from the yard, incanting what sounds like magical spells. She has a very vivid imagination. Maybe we will learn what happened to her when she understands more English"   
————-

"We can't handle this child. She runs around at all hours of the night screaming. When she does sleep she has night terrors. She runs away and will be gone for hours. Police have returned her to us at least five times." 

A hospital report from the third home, one that she barely remembered read 

"Grace Jennings, aged 7, admitted to the hospital under suspicious circumstances. Bruised right eye, swollen lip, and fractured cheek bone. Bruised ribs, and a hairline fracture to the left wrist, appears defensive. She spoke hardly any English. We called an interpreter for what appeared to be Swiss. The interpreter stated that Grace had been beaten for riding a broom around the house, refusing to sleep in her dark bedroom alone, and for refusing to do homework. The foster parents Joanne and Ronald Keaton were taken into custody. New placement is recommended"  
————

"Grace threw a rock at a child on the playground. He required several stitches. She said he pushed her head in the dirt and called her names. That hasn't been verified. One more offense and she will be expelled.   
———-

"Grace is an intelligent eight year old child. She finishes her school work nearly immediately. She reads book after book. But she has marks on her arms and suspicious bruising. Needs follow up for self harm"   
—————

"We cannot keep Grace. She is ten years old but has the intelligence of a much older child. She makes our other children feel stupid and this causes them to get angry with her and lash out at her. They have been involved in several altercations this week alone. She speaks down to my husband and I, and we cannot allow that disrespect to continue"   
————-

Rage boiled in her blood. Finally, vindication for some of the things that she had gone through. Each report card appeared photocopied with the amount of "A" markings. 

The next report she saw caused her face to pale and a gasp escaped her lips. Several pictures of her bruised body, eyes deadened, rib bones jutting out from her small frame. 

"Police found juvenile Grace Jennings, 13, on the side of the road at approximately midnight on New Year's Eve. She was unconscious upon officers arrival with deep wrist gashes. Rape kit positive. Severe uterine trauma from repeated assault. Juvenile admitted to psych ward at Mercy hospital until new guardianship can be secured. Intensive therapy is recommended" 

She had nearly blocked out that night in her mind. She was going to jump off the bridge, but it wasn't high enough. Her foster family had been abusing her, sexually, physically, emotionally...for three years. She found a dirty piece of glass on the side of the street and dragged it down her arms, succumbing to the warmth of unconsciousness. She woke up days later in the hospital. Her story made the news station that time. A lot of important people caused commotion over a young "orphan" teen being victimized. She had to be moved across state lines for a fresh start. 

The next family, the Rockwell's, were her longest home: four years. They were kind, loving, and had no children. She had been the fifth foster to come through. They allowed her to keep the monthly stipend that the state gave them for her care, which was unheard of. The day before her seventeenth birthday, they got into a car crash; a semi blew through a stoplight. 

Numb with grief, she took the GED test easily, completed the emancipation papers and moved into an efficiency apartment while working at a 24 hour diner. Based on the IQ tests, college applications, and scholarship forms that George and Karen had made her fill out, she was accepted into several Ivy League schools. With all her life packed into the modest sedan that the Rockwell's left her, she moved to MIT and never looked back. 

It was that event that caused her to blockade her soul. Becoming close to someone and having them be ripped away from you wasn't worth it. She held the thin article cut out between her fingers, the old paper soft between her pointer and thumb. 

Dozens of papers and reports. Her whole life before her. She shut the folder, it was too much to handle. 

"George and Karen Rockwell were good to you" Josip asked, watching as she stared at their faces 

Nodding, she answered quietly

"They wanted to adopt me but they died before they could...Where did you get these papers? I requested them when I went to college" 

He looked down, and replied softly

" I stole them. The less you knew about your life, the better. Anything you knew, if they found you, could be used against you. It was wrong to steal them but I did it to protect you" 

Confusion and anger clouded her vision. She needed those papers. Her whole life had been hidden. Trauma had blocked the memories from forming until now, they all came flooding back. All the pain, fear, shame, and degradation. But she had a right to know. 

"Why did you think you had a right to take them? That you got to decide which way my life went?" she vented, frustration oozing out, nails digging into her balled up palms 

"I couldn't leave a paper trail. They would find you. You weren't hidden. You may have been lost to non-magicals, a nobody. But to an underground of witches and wizards, you are easily accessible" Josip argued back, his eyebrows drawn together in concentration. 

In her life, no one took the time to find her. Except for the Rockwell's, she was just a paycheck, a do-gooders item waiting to be checked off the list. A thought struck her, nausea rolling through her stomach 

"How do they keep knowing where to find me?" 

She looked between Josip and Severus, waiting for the question to be answered. 

Josip shrugged

"I don't know. I only follow the chatter when they find your location" 

"Perhaps we should infiltrate the meeting tonight. Before we do anything rash...Let me try something" Severus spoke up after being silent for the duration of their discussion

Moving towards her, he held his wand out. 

"Don't point that thing at me Severus! What are you doing?" she startled, wary of the determined look on his face 

"I've never checked you for a trace. I can't believe I didn't think to do that. I checked all your possessions and even your damn dog...This won't hurt" he told her, rubbing his temple in frustration 

A trace? Like a lo-jack? That was like some secret governmental spy stuff. 

"Only minors have the trace" Josip spoke up, confusedly 

"Legally speaking. But have you known her parents to abide by any laws? Plus, there are no laws protecting Squibs from improper magic, who knows what they did to her..." Severus explained, a quiet fury burning in his voice as he held his wand to her heart 

"Revelio avensequim" 

She looked down at her arm, graphing coordinates lighting up on her skin in bright blue 

"Oh my god" she whispered horrified, the implications racing through her mind. How many people knew where she was at this exact moment? She had never had a moment of privacy or safety in her life. She could have literally been killed or kidnapped at any moment. Anyone could find her. At any time. 

"I don't know what curse they used so I can't take it off. I don't want to injure you" Severus admitted, holding her arm tenderly in his deeply veined hand 

"You can't fix it? They're just going to keep finding her?" Josip asked, fear oozing in his words 

She turned from them quickly, running into the bathroom feeling the fear race down her torso, causing her stomach to revolt. Heart racing, adrenaline surging, and hands freezing she sank into a ball in the corner. She couldn't think, her thoughts were all jumbled amidst the panic. 

What was she going to do? She couldn't hide forever, she wasn't even hiding now. Just biding her time until someone decided to find her and kill her. Maybe they wouldn't kill her...maybe they would use her as an example, torture her for something she had no control over. 

Severus knocked lightly and timidly sat down beside her. His face was stretched uneasily, both awkward in their ministrations of affection. 

"We seem to be spending a lot of time in bathrooms together" he noted, eyes concentrated on the tile

"Don't let them kill me" she pleaded suddenly, tossing all her reservations out the window. 

The things that she had been pushing down for the past year were threatening to erupt. The secrets. Not wanting to be vulnerable. But knowing everything that was lurking under the surface all along. 

She was terrified and he needed to know. 

His eyes widened and shock covered his face. The spectrum of emotions passed through his gaze before he pulled her close, wrapped tightly in his arms. She was able to take a deep breath in his embrace. Warm. Mint and musk. Safety. 

"I won't let anyone hurt you. No one else will die around me. I promise you that Grace" he promised, words aching with remorse 

"Will you stay with me? No matter what?" she whispered, ashamed at how weak she sounded. 

"I had a friend once...She trusted the wrong people and I begged for her to be protected. It was in part my fault, for speaking out about something that I had no business in. She died. And during the war...There were so many that I watched die. I could have stopped it but my cover needed to remain intact...That guilt lives with me in my bones. Weighing down my soul. But no more. I will keep you safe. No matter what" he divulged, brazenly staring into her eyes, strong fingers cupping her chin 

"Because you love me?" she asked suddenly, not intending to say it, but wanting to bring to light what his words were obscuring. 

He wanted to say it. And she knew that she did too. 

For once she let down her walls, it seemed as if they could easily be invaded and conquered anyway so she might as well throw out everything she had been feeling for well over a year. If he didn't feel that way, then he was free to leave her to fend for herself. Not that he would do that...She had to believe in his loyalty. There had to be liberation after the fear. 

He gasped, eyes as round as quarters. The air was thick with anticipation and she was treading the waters waiting for a reply. Ever so softly, he brushed the hair back from her face, taking both of her hands in his and answering 

"Yes Grace. Because I love you...Very much" 

She grinned, the dizzying array of emotions whirling her around like a cyclone. Meeting his eyes, she noticed he was terrified. Declarations of love would do that, she supposed she looked the same. Taking a deep breath she plunged in 

"Good. Because I love you too and I'm not leaving."


	19. Found

"She can't go! She has a trace, they will find her!" Josip argued with Severus later that night as the meeting drew closer 

"She has a right to face them. And we'll be there to protect her" Severus defended, squaring his shoulders 

It was a bit like watching an old movie where two men fought over a woman's reputation without asking if the woman even cared. 

"They'll kill her! For show! You don't know them like I do" Josip pleaded, wringing his hands 

"Then we won't let them. I won't leave her alone" Severus growled, stepping closer to her side 

"We're wasting time! They're starting the meeting soon and we haven't even found the spot!" Josip pressed, crowding into Severus' face

"I'm getting pretty tired of you two talking about me like I'm not here" she stood in between them, hand on Severus' chest. 

She looked up into his burning black eyes, heart pumping harder because of what they told each other that afternoon. That she spoke openly of her feelings for the first time in her life. And that he returned those same thoughts. How do you continue your life knowing that someone loves you? 

"You think he has your best interest at heart? He's going to get you killed" Josip told her, pointing at her arm

"Grace, you deserve to see your parents. To see what they do. Who they are. You'll be safe with me" Severus tried to persuade her, not that he needed to 

"I'm going. I need to see them" she answered decisively. 

Shaking his head, Josip murmured something about being extra cautious as he began to throw things into his backpack. 

She opened up the memento box, about to put the contents into her purse. He looked at the sapphire necklace that Josip had given her, a signifying heirloom that he had stolen, brushing her hair back so as not to get caught in the lock. 

Hands on her shoulders, he turned her around to face him. He held her hand, holding it tightly as he slipped the Slytherin ring onto her right ring finger. He didn't let go. 

"Stay close to me. Okay?" he whispered, a vulnerability running ragged in his voice that wasn't there before 

Tingles ran across her shoulders and cheeks. She was about to meet her parents. They were dangerous. Killers. And she had no magic. Just some strange sense of entitlement to their attention and mercy? Severus was literally putting his body on the line for her. He could die. 

"You don't have to come. You've already almost died for one cause..." she offered, realizing this was the first time she enjoyed holding someone's hand. 

It wasn't clammy or overbearing. It was comforting. Reassuring. 

"Only you can finish this. I'm coming. I'll be there to help in any way I can" he assured her, giving her hand a final squeeze 

She picked up the wand, holding it awkwardly. Nothing happened. She sighed, wishing that Serena had fixed the part of her that couldn't perform magic. So she could be accepted fully into a world, to have some type of identity to build herself onto. But of course, no luck. 

"Keep it with you. If anything you can pretend for a few moments..." he offered, watching as she slid it into her inner coat pocket. 

She grabbed the baby socks, as an appeal to what? Her parents humanity? The memory that she at one time was defenseless and needing their full care? That they had a child and just gave her away? Those socks were proof that she was at one time, theirs. 

Squaring their shoulders, they walked out into the street, dusk beginning to fall. A few feet from the entrance, on a cobblestone was a palm leaf. Josip whispered a spell under his breath and the tip of the palm leaf spun straight ahead. She eyed it suspiciously but the plan was confirmed when the next palm leaf spun as they approached and pointed them to the right, up a small stone staircase. Ten minutes passed, they walked deeper and deeper into the city; through outdoor bars and quiet storefront businesses. No one would suspect that anything nefarious was happening. Perhaps that's why they were so dangerous. They were outlaws operating within the law. 

Before they rounded a corner, Severus waved a concealment charm over them. It was the same one he had used at the coffee shop with Josip. The disguise would hopefully trick them long enough to ignore the trace on her arm. She itched her arm, it was beginning to tingle. 

Nerves. 

They walked into a small restaurant, ten circular tables with crisp white linen sat in a candlelit dining room. Blood red roses floated in water bowls in the middle of each table. Men and women stood around quietly, sipping out of long stemmed fluted glasses. The elite. Perfectly coiffed hair, expensive outfits, demeanor proud and laid back. They weren't afraid of being caught. 

"Hello, may I help you?" asked a tall man with slicked back gelled hair and sharp tuxedo. 

"We followed the palms" Josip spoke up, his voice a few decibles higher under the concealment charm. 

"Names?" he asked nonplussed, a feather quill and guestbook in hand 

"Alistair and Kate, I'm Frances" Josip pointed easily at each of them 

"Wands" he asked, peering at them over the book 

Holding the wand tightly, concealing the tell-tale insignia with her hand, she held out the end as did Severus and Josip. It seemed to satisfy the host who instructed them to sit anywhere.

A sharp twinge in her left arm made her cringe. Severus noticed and arched his fake eyebrow. 

"My arm hurts" she whispered to him nervously, sitting at a table full of strangers 

"Tell me if it gets worse. We'll figure it out" he whispered back, settling into the high wooden chairs 

"Hello, and who might you be? I haven't seen you before" asked a woman akin to Marilyn Monroe from across the table 

"We're simply passing through and thought this might be worth our while" Severus answered smoothly

Damn, he could lie, she thought, which was as impressive as it was alarming. 

"Of course it will. Several international government officials will be here tonight. You've chosen well" she smiled, toasting them with a glass of red wine 

Grace bit the inside of her cheek, her arm was beginning to throb as if she had a sunburn and a pulled muscle. Subtly reaching down into her sleeve to find her skin flaming hot to the touch. 

"What kind of business are you in?" asked her husband, tone laced with hidden meaning. His solid gold watch shone in the light. 

The elite ran the world with their money. The interests of the common paved beneath the acquisition of wealth and power. Anger began to heat up her chest as well but Severus placed his hand over hers before replying 

"My wife and I travel. I am a medicine man. What about you sir?" 

"Political wheel greaser" he answered slyly

A lobbyist. Paying the government so that he could get his own way. Weasel. 

"Is there much business in private medicine making?" asked another man with thick glasses and a high necked tuxedo and red tie sitting beside the couple 

"If one knows where to look" Severus answered evasively, glancing around the room 

The three accepted that answer and turned to face the front as a woman in a black slinky ball gown began to speak in a hypnotic tone reminiscent of a magic show assistant 

"Welcome to all, our magical victors. How lucky are you to be here tonight. We will be enjoying an evening of fine dining and entertainment. Sit back and relax" 

Food appeared in front of them, a luxurious plate of meat and vegetables and never ending wine. She didn't trust it, and neither did Severus. Josip ate sparingly, keeping an eye out on the surroundings. The tone was jovial but something was wrong. Very wrong. An undercurrent of bad electric.

A slow swell of violins began playing a seductive tune. Women in burgundy bras and bikini bottoms floated in on thin silver hula hoops, their hair flowing about behind them, flipping and performing ornate moves in the air. A beautifully choreographed routine all done without touching the ground. Ten minutes of mesmerizing movements. It almost felt as if she wasn't actually present. She glanced at Severus, who appeared to be looking at them but was actually staring at the ceiling. 

Were they hypnotizing people with their movements? Was nothing safe in this world?  
The women landed softly on the ground, each one taking a spot at a table, silk scarf untied from their hips. The woman at their table had long brown hair with copious amounts of glitter weaved throughout it. Her kohl smudged eyes took in the table and she began an intricate scarf dance around each person's neck and face. 

A ball of jealousy bounced through her stomach as the dancer wrapped her legs around Severus' body, moving as easily as water; her hands gliding over his skin. Thankfully she moved on quickly to Josip who also gave her no attention. 

"They're mesmers, it is rare to have so many in one troupe. They are born with the power to seduce...They bewitch anyone who stares into their eyes" Severus whispered into her ear so no one else could hear 

She drew in a deep breath, unable to look away from her arm. He inconspicuously placed a finger under her sleeve where her skin was steadily burning hotter. It was throbbing madly. 

"We should leave" he whispered, the worry evident in his voice 

"We need to see them" she gritted her teeth as the host walked out onto the stage 

"Magical victors, we would invite you to give your donations at this time. Your contributions have so generously funded research into solutions for those who are not so victorious. Magical blood is such a gift, and by your generous donations we are able to make certain that only the best continue the line of magic. Your donations have made the research into the genetic components of Squibs a reality so that in the near future, no people will be afflicted by this terrible diagnosis..." 

He continued to talk but her ears buzzed and mouth went dry. Affliction? Was that what people thought about her? That her life was an affliction, needing to be cured? Or snuffed out? That she was worthless because she had no magic? That wasn't true. It couldn't be. And how were they proving this research? What types of studies were they doing? And on who?

Her arm surged with pain, causing her to gasp. 

Severus looked down at her concernedly, and she motioned to the door. Something was wrong 

"Forgive us, but my colleague is feeling unwell. Enjoy your night" he told the guests, who nodded sympathetically as they stood and began walking out of the room.

Searing pain suddenly shot up her arm like a white hot branding iron. Her knees buckled beneath her. Severus grabbed her roughly to his side as an older woman with a glittered mask and long brown waves slid out of the shadows, wand hidden by her sleeve but jabbed in Grace's stomach 

"Don't say a word or I'll kill her" she whispered with a smile on her face so as to not alarm the guests 

Grace dug her fingers into Severus' arm, adrenaline swiftly coursing through to her toes. His face was stone still, betraying no emotion. They walked through a long hallway lit by yellow candles flickering in the wind. Josip wasn't with them anymore. It was like he disappeared. 

"Revelio" the woman waved her wand and their disguises dissolved to show their real faces 

"Severus Snape...War hero. Spy. Traitor. True lover. Presumed dead. What are you doing here?" she asked taking a deep breath, stepping closer to him, a sneer growing on her face 

"That is my business. Who are you?" he asked calmly, almost bored. 

"You know who I am. So does she..." she grinned and squeezed Grace's arm 

Her arm felt as if it was being shredded from the inside out. Burning. Exploding. She screamed instantly and threw up on the floor beside them, trying to remain upright. 

"Stop it. You don't need to do that. She just wanted to meet you" he warned the woman, voice stern 

Black spots dotted her vision. Was that her mother? She didn't look anything like her memories. A lot of change could happen in almost thirty years. 

"I think she needs to know just how much pain she's caused" the woman answered back just as sternly, running her finger down Grace's arm. 

"Son of a bitch..." she growled, stars taking over her vision as she used Severus for support. An insignia showed up in black on her forearm. The same insignia as her family box. 

"You marked her?" he whispered aghast, the mask dropping for a split second

"You would know about that wouldn't you. You know how this feels. You don't need to use much imagination" she teased maliciously 

"Don't listen to her...You're not a bad person" Grace defended him, knowing how much he hated having that memory on his body. 

A memory of all the wrong choices he had ever made simply because he was traumatized and lonely. 

"Severus, do you know how many times the dark lord tried to commission my husband and I for his army?" she asked politely, wand still held defensively between them 

"I do not" he replied, eyebrow arched 

"Over a dozen. But we are better than that. Than his small minded children. Power doesn't come from might and coercion. Power comes through common goals and the art of making people think something is their idea when it's really yours...Do you really think we don't run the world?" she oozed, obviously proud of herself 

Grace's stomach turned. This was her mother. Her blood. How could she have come from this person? This woman who was so deceived that she believed certain lives were better than others. That certain people were deemed so unworthy that they could be killed. Possibly. 

"It's a bit of a surprise that you ended up finding my daughter. We all thought you died. I was glad that a blood traitor like you was dead" she smiled, pushing her wand into his chest

"Leave him alone!" Grace growled, shoving her back with sudden visceral strength

She stumbled back into the wall, trying to hide her shock 

"Don't let her bait you Grace" he pulled her back, strong arm around her shoulders 

"And you wouldn't stand a chance against me. What a waste of a body. My own daughter, a Squib" her mother scoffed, spitting on the ground beside her

Something inside of her snapped. A lifetime of being called worthless. No power. Everything stripped from her: name, history, friends, family, ability to make solid relationships. And now this woman was threatening the very person who was giving her back those exact things. She wouldn't have it. It was time to stand up for herself and reclaim her life. 

She launched herself at the older woman, knocking the wand out of her hand with her unexpected movement. Lifting her arm up into the air, she brought her fist down straight into her mothers face. Solid connect. Knees on her chest and hand on her throat. She wasn't going to give her a chance to get away this time. 

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Severus grab her wand and move to pull her off.Her stomach dropped and the air sucked from her lungs and the world went black. 

She had been apparated.


	20. More Help

Grace

The world turned rightside up and Grace found herself still on top of her mother, hands clasped around her throat. 

Strong hands grabbed her from behind, but she locked on, refusing to let go. A spell released her grip and the unknown person dragged her kicking and punching across the room to a chair. 

"Sit" commanded the vaguely familiar male voice 

"No!" she shot up out of the chair, pushing her full weight against the man trying to subdue her. 

"Crucio" came the calm direction from him, she fell to the ground as pain tore through her whole body. It hurt, but nothing like being forced to obey. 

"I don't want to do it again" he warned, foot on her rib cage 

"Coward" she managed to spit out, the electric vibrations slowly dissipating

"I like the fight in her Amalhe" he grinned widely, creepily

"She knows how to defend herself, I'll give her that" her mother acquiesced, the blood and scrapes vanishing as her father waved his wand 

"If I let you up, will you be good?" he asked, the words eerily reminiscent of her first assault.

She remained silent, not answering. Let him put his guard down. He helped her up and she kicked him as hard as she could in the groin, grabbing his wand from him when he doubled over. 

Before her mother processed what was happening, she smashed the thin wood over her knee, splinters falling to the ground like snow. Her mother's wand had been knocked out of her hand at the gathering, hopefully Severus had taken it. She remembered him telling her once that a wand was an extension of the wizard; that many could do non verbal spells but if a wand was broken, magic would be nearly impossible or slightly dangerous. 

These people, her parents, who thought they were so intelligent to never get caught doing harm were brought down over a piece of wood. 

Jean-Luc stared at her, mouth agape, his wand snapped clean in half, the core shredded like tiny corn silk hairs. It was a tense stand-off. Clearly, they hadn't imagined her being this much trouble. 

"Give me one reason why we shouldn't kill you right now?" Amalhe seethed, her hand gripping at an invisible wand 

"I really don't care what you do to me; it's probably already been done" she answered back, feigning nonchalance. 

Of course she wanted to live. Run her business. Go back home and plant weird things with Severus. Take Wilfred on walks and never get mad again when he chewed on her underwear. But, begging was like foreplay to them. It would only ramp them up. She needed to take away their power. 

The two of them grasped her on either side, deceptively strong. She made sure to look around at the home, finding the exits. One to her right and another to the far back left. The windows were wide and tall, an old home. Rolling mountains displayed prominently outside. It wasn't night here like it was at the gathering. They had to be far away from Prague. If anything, the landscape reminded her of Colorado. The dark wood floor creaked under their feet, more at the center than the edges. Two overhead lights in the hallway. The door to the left led directly outside. There was a long driveway leading away from the mountains. 

They came to the top of a staircase with a locked door. Vivid memories of being tossed in the cellar rushed to the front of her mind. She fought them back, vomit rising up into her throat. No. She wouldn't show them she was afraid. They didn't deserve her fear. Quickly shutting the door behind her body left her in total darkness. Slowly but surely she felt her way down the rickety stairs, the damp of basement tickling her nose. Once her feet hit the flat floor, a shuffling from the other side of the room sent a tremor down her spine. 

"Who is there?" she fought to keep her voice level. 

The dark was her fear. 

More shuffling. 

"I won't hurt you. If you don't hurt me" she called out, squaring up her shoulders and clenching her fists

Light from what appeared to be flashlights lit up the room. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked around at half a dozen children's faces. They varied in age, the youngest looked to be about five while the oldest was around twelve. Dirty faces, full of fear. 

"What's your name?" asked the littlest child, a girl with scraggly hair 

"I...I'm Grace. What's your name sweetie?" she switched her tone, not used to speaking with children 

"Marie" she answered back shyly 

"You're not a kid. Why do they have you here?" asked the oldest child sharply, taking a step forward in front of Shelagh 

"I'm a Squib. The people upstairs were my parents. I was hiding from them but they found me" she informed the teen, figuring that truth was her best bet at gaining trust. 

They all shared glances, shoulders visibly relaxing. One of the boys from the back brought her over a small chair to sit in. 

"Why are you here?" she questioned them, heart breaking in a way she hadn't yet experienced 

"Our parents gave us to them. To fix us" the oldest answered with a bite to their tone 

"Did they hurt you?" she whispered, afraid to hear the answer 

No one answered. They stared at the floor. They didn't have to. Anger raged through her body. No one had a right to hurt children. To hurt anybody. She had been through that enough. 

"How long have you been here?" she asked the eldest child who was still eying her wearily 

"I don't know what day is it? Year?" 

"July 17, 2002" Grace answered back 

The child bit their lip

"My parents gave me to them at New Years, two years ago...Seamus and Anna came weeks later...Marie, Tae, and Kyle just got here a few months ago. I'm Ruth" 

Being a Squib was rare, that's what Serena and Severus said. These kids weren't just English, they were all nationalities and ages. People from all around the world were ashamed of their children and ready to give them to complete strangers for a "cure." They were tossed aside, rather forgotten than loved. Did their parents know what was happening to them? Did they care? 

"I don't want to be here anymore. You have to help us" Ruth told her, desperation in her voice

"I'm going to help you. I'm going to help all of us...I just don't know how" Grace told her kindly, mind working hard to devise a plan.

They were going to get out of there, all of them. She trusted Severus to do his half of the work too. He loved her. And love conquered things.

————-  
She didn't know how much time had passed. It was continually dark in the basement. The air hung heavy with moss and mold. The children had croup in their lungs, playing quiet pretend games in the corner. The games revolved around pretending to be at a playground, or a birthday party. Clinging to normalcy. 

Ruth, Seamus, and Anne chatted about their lives to her. All born into "pure blood" magical families and cast aside. Warned not to return until they were fixed. The resignation was evident in their voices but her presence seemed to bring about a new sense of fight and hope. 

"Maybe we can get them to come down here. They usually magic the food, but maybe if we don't eat it, they'll check on us" Ruth mused, looking at the bowls of rice. 

"Maybe...Let the littles eat" Anna interjected. 

They all pushed their bowls away in unison. 

Looking around the room, Grace saw several things they could use to possibly subdue her parents. Beyond that, she had no idea. Escaping and running like mad seemed to be their only option. But she didn't even know where they were. What would she do with six kids in an unknown city? 

To hell with the police. They wouldn't be any help. She knew how they sided with abusers. She had to find magical people, but where? And how? It wasn't like she could go around asking about magic. Severus told her that would be death for many people. For the magical community. 

"How do they keep you here? You could just go up the stairs?" Grace asked her curiously, the other children hiding in the corner with their bowls. 

She had to look away, the sight was too gut wrenching 

"This room is guarded with magic. We can't get past it" Ruth answered sadly 

"Just how magical are your parents?" Grace asked her, the young girls face etched with too much sadness 

"I grew up around the most aristocratic kind of magic. They're Canadian magical royalty. High ranking wood witches and wizards. My birth and rejection from school was a disgrace. They heard about Amalhe and Jean-Luc through some pure blood nonsense. Handed me over without a thought" she told her angrily, fists clenched. 

She remembered that anger. It was the only thing that kept her fed and warm some nights. 

"What have they done? To try and make you magical?" Grace asked softly 

"They go into our minds and use dark magic to try and 'rewire' us. I don't have memories anymore...I've had several blood transfusions with magical blood...It just left me sick for weeks. All kinds of spells. Unforgivable spells. Me, Seamus, and Anna take the brunt for the littles. They don't need this. They mostly drug them anyway so they sleep. They get loud and cry otherwise. Not that anyone cares about them. They were given away" 

"I'm sorry Ruth. I grew up without parents but this is just as bad...We're going to get out. My friend Severus will help us" she assured the child 

Ruth did a double take, eyebrow hitched incredulously 

"Severus Snape? The war hero? He's dead. Don't lie to me" 

"He let people think he's dead. He's very much alive. Hiding out in my neighborhood. That's how I found out I was a Squib. I showed him all my families heirlooms. How do you know about him?" Grace questioned, not thinking that he was famous 

Of course he told her his story. Serena and Hermione told her tidbits. But she didn't grasp the magnanimity of his existence. 

"Everybody knows about him. He deceived the greatest dark wizard of all time. He helped save the entire wizarding world in England. He saved Harry Potter. He died defending love. Well. So we thought. You're his friend?" Ruth told her in awe, eyes alight at the story 

"I guess I didn't realize how big of a deal it was" she muttered, feeling overwhelmed by Severus' fame. 

Feeling stupid for not putting all the dots together. 

"He's a hero. No one will forget him. I bet he will find you. He saved people before, maybe he can do it again" Ruth spoke hopefully 

"He will. But, until he gets here, we're going to save ourselves. That's what he would want. Now, let's get those spindles off the staircase" Grace assured her, working to free the wooden sticks without too much noise. 

————————-

Severus 

Days that turned into weeks had passed. He searched Prague for any sign of the pair but it was as if they didn't exist. He was disheveled. He couldn't believe that Amalhe had gotten the drop on him. 

He raced back to the hotel room, trying to find any trace of Josip. But he had disappeared too. Good riddance. The Unbreakable Vow would do its trick. He steadied his breath, trying to come up with a plan. He held Amalhe's wand in his grasp, refusing to let it go. It would be necessary to prove their case when the two were inevitably caught. 

Every spell he knew came back blank. They were using the darkest magic to cover their traces. Blood magic. Blood spilled by innocents. Sacrifices. He hated to think who they were using to cover their traces. Perhaps it was Grace. He couldn't focus on that. 

He knew he needed help. He hated help. He should be able to do it himself. He didn't want to possibly give up his secrecy. But Grace was worth it. She needed him. He needed to find her. 

He apparated to Hermione's apartment. 

Into her living room he appeared, black turtleneck and jeans askew, hair pulled tightly back. Eyes frenzied. He surveyed the room and found himself surrounded by the Golden Trio. 

Harry and Ron sat with their mouths agape, each holding a forkful of pie halfway to their faces. 

"Hello Professor. Nice to see you again. Where's Grace?" Hermione greeted him pleasantly, not the least bit surprised

"She's been taken. By them. Her parents. We need to figure out how to find her. I need your help. Please pick up your jaws from the floor you two. I suppose you will do too" Severus demanded breathlessly 

"What's he talking about Hermione? I knew you weren't dead!" Harry declared, jumping up to shake his hand, which he allowed. 

"Of course I'm not dead. Did anyone ever find my body?" he snarled at them 

They shook their heads. He decided to reel in the venom. He needed their connections. 

"You had found me before Mr. Potter. At my friend Grace's home in New York. She lied for me. I was around the corner" he admitted, wanting to get all the preliminary stuff out of the way. 

"I knew my source was good" Ron whispered, not willing to engage with him, shoulders shrugged defensively 

"Forgive me for not believing your latest conquest when she said she saw our dead professor on vacation in New York City" Harry rolled his eyes at Ron, obviously frustrated with his behavior 

"Professor, Grace left something here. A necklace" Hermione suddenly told him, running to retrieve it from her bedroom 

"We've been searching for you since the battle. You're wanted by the Ministry" Harry informed him, eyes downcast, not sure how to interact with him after the memories 

"Can we please keep my anonymity between us? At least until we find my friend Grace? Then turn me into the Wizengamot if you must" Snape replied, knowing that it would kill Grace if he got taken but willing to face the repercussions. 

War crimes didn't get penalized lightly. 

"What? You're not wanted for war crimes. You're wanted for accommodations. First class order of Merlin. Awards for bravery and valor. Right now they're all posthumous, but we can make them active if you come back" Harry tried to persuade him 

"I do not wish to show my face to the community at large. It is rather embarrassing what my memory is. I am no hero Mr. Potter. I don't deserve accommodations. I just want my...friend, to be safe" he told the young man, whose face softened 

"You have a friend?" Harry asked, intonation on the word friend. 

If he had been a student, Severus would have smacked him upside the head. But alas, they were equals now. Both war survivors. Wizards. As much as he despised the thought. He could calibrate. 

"Yes. She's a Squib. Her parents are Amalhe Botha and Jean-Luc Laurent" Severus rushed the story, their faces shocked 

"They're just paper ghosts! We haven't found any proof that they're even alive" Ron spoke up stubbornly, clearly not ready to forgive him 

"They're very real Mr. Weasley. I have Amalhe's wand right here. If you wish" Severus drawled, already annoyed with the red head.

"I don't trust you. I never have" Ron retorted, chin up in defiance.

Still a child. 

"They're dangerous. They've killed...thousands of people in search of blood purity. They're shadows. They don't want fame...They're more dangerous than Voldemort. Smarter too" Harry mused worriedly.

At least someone had done their research. 

"For goodness sakes Ron. Grace is real. She stayed here with me. I watched her almost get kidnapped. I found her parents records a few weeks ago. Just stop your whining and get on board" Hermione scolded him, bringing out the blue sapphire necklace. 

"Josip gave that to Grace in Prague. How did you get it?" Severus barked at her, his old self popping through 

Hermione looked confused, handing over the necklace which began to glow 

"We got that out of her parents vault. It was glowing like crazy when we took it. Maybe there are two?" 

He stared at it for a moment, performing a revealing charm, a port-key light rising from it

"Miss Granger, I do believe you have saved the day once more. Would you two like to come along and arrest some of the worst criminals in magical history? Or would you still like to hold a schoolboy grudge against me?" Severus spoke in his former voice, desperately trying to detach but unable to 

"We will come. Won't we?" Harry answered for them, elbowing Ron hard in the ribs. 

"Yeah. We'll come" Ron answered, the four of them huddling around the necklace unaware of where they were transporting to. 

"No one else dies on my watch. Understood?" Severus demanded of them, the familiar protectiveness creeping into his shoulder blades. 

"We've got your back now too sir" Harry assured him, to which the other two nodded. 

Hand to the sapphires, they disappeared into thin air.


	21. Captured

"Did you ever try to get that window open?" Grace asked Ruth, the tiny sliver of glass about six feet above their heads

She was exhausted from being kept up at night for the last several days? Weeks? She lost count. Jean-Luc and Amalhe performed hours worth of mind games on her: implanting memories that weren't there, invading her thoughts, her brain zapped as if by electric car cables, blood infused with random potions that she knew Severus wouldn't have approved of, her body beaten. 

The worst was when "friends" would come over and take turns casting spells on her. They often requested one of the younger children, stating that they paid "good money" for a chance to civilize a Squib child with magic. But she fought them. So much fighting. Until they eventually just took her first without question. 

If it was happening to her, it wasn't happening to the others. She shook herself out of the memories and turned to face Ruth. 

"No, because they said that they have the house magically sealed. I can't break through a magic seal" Ruth shrugged her shoulders, her dirt covered toes digging into the floor 

Grace stared at the window, thinking that if she could jump from the stairs and grab the ledge, maybe she could open the latch. She didn't know if they truly set a magical charm on it or just told the kids that knowing that they had no way of testing it out. 

"Did you ever try?" she pressed the younger girl, knowing she had lost most hope 

Ruth shook her head, watching the younger kids play a game with rocks they dug out of the foundation. 

"Maybe they did. But they're banking on you not checking. They think you are stupid because you're a Squib. That you can't survive without magic. But you can. You can do anything you want" she tried to spur Ruth on, before continuing 

"I'm going to try. Catch me if I fall?" Grace tried to amp her up, knowing it was fifty fifty whether or not she got cursed. 

Ruth nodded, walking over to the moldy wall with her arms outstretched as Grace quietly climbed up the edges of the stairs. She would have laughed if the situation hadn't been completely absurd. About four feet of space separated the stairs from the wall, if she jumped hard enough she could grip the ledge and flip the lock. 

Aiming her body, she squatted and leaped, the cement wall slamming against her knees. She grabbed the ledge, pushing weight onto her elbows and digging into the wall with her toes. She reached up and shoved the lock over, the window releasing slightly but not opening. 

No magic. 

She fell to the floor, trying not to smother Ruth; who looked simultaneously shocked and elated. 

"Can we really get out? Have I let all of us be stuck here when it was really that easy?" Ruth questioned angrily, rubbing her temples in frustration 

"I doubt they would make it so easy...But maybe we're giving them intelligence they don't have. Maybe they're using magic as a crutch. They're scamming money from rich people...What happens when their donors find out their money isn't going where they thought?" Grace processed out loud 

"They would be hunted like the animals they are" Ruth answered vindictively, chin up in defiance 

"Try to jump to the window yourself" Grace told her, trying to formulate a plan 

Ruth scrambled up the stairs, her skinny body sharp from malnourishment. She leaped easily across to the window and dropped to the floor. 

"We can get that window off its hinges. Then when we have the opportunity when we know they're gone, Seamus and Anna can help you lift up the littles. You guys stay together and run like hell" Grace advised her, hands grasped tightly on her young friends shoulders 

"I want you to come with us. I don't want to be all alone..." Ruth whispered terrified 

Seamus and Anna walking over and voicing their agreement. 

Looking at their sad and hopeful eyes, her heart broke. She remembered that look and the soul shattering pain of trying to place trust in someone. She patted their heads fondly, promising them they would stay together. The three of them surrounded her in a hug, skinny arms linked tightly. 

The door upstairs unlatched, and they all scurried to the other side of the basement, Grace sitting in front of the others like a guard.

"Come upstairs. We're taking you with us to meet our patrons" Amalhe instructed her, incredibly out of place in the dank and moldy basement while dressed in her cherry red cocktail dress and birdcage veil. 

The children glanced at each other nervously. 

Anna whispered softly "oh no" 

What could meeting the patrons entail? Dressing up and making nice with rich politicians? Being made a spectacle of in front of hundreds of elitists with more money than brains? Would it be worse than when she met a patron in private? There was confidence in groups. 

"Make me" Grace demanded, chin up, the animosity between her and Amalhe growing by the day. 

She used to be loved by her mother. But then something flipped. An anger began in Amalhe at not having a perfect life. The cognitive dissonance between ignorant belief and reality too much for her to take. 

"Oh I've been waiting for you to say that, trust me. You are ungrateful and insolent" Amalhe seethed, gripping her wrist with her claw like talons, her thin face twisted and angry, heavy musk perfume assaulting her nose. 

Pulling out a different wand, she pointed it at Grace, silently ordering her up the stairs. 

"You're not so powerful without that magic stick" Grace insulted her, rolling her eyes as she walked up the stairs 

"Keep in line. One little spell and you won't exist" the older woman threatened as they clomped up the stairs 

"But if you killed me you couldn't get any money for your schemes" Grace replied flatly, breathing in the fresh air, the grime covering her skin making her itch 

"Crucio" Amalhe spoke calmly, wand pointed at her back 

Fire spread throughout her body, muscles being shredded and torn. She bit her cheek, feeling the blood start to run as the taste of iron filled her mouth but she wouldn't scream. Wouldn't give them the satisfaction. 

"Stop it Amalhe" Jean-Luc protested as he came around the corner, watching in annoyance as she knelt on the ground, trying to keep from hurling 

"Coward" she rasped as the air flowed back into her lungs. 

Amalhe rolled her eyes in a perfect mimic of Grace and lifted the spell. 

"She's filthy" he stated to his wife, appearing disgusted at either her appearance or the treatment she was being put through. 

"It's better this way. We get more money when they look wild. The patrons like to tame them" she spoke confidently and without shame 

"Follow me to the ballroom" Jean-Luc held out his suited arm to Grace. 

She shook her head. He sighed in frustration

"Please don't make me curse you into submission. Your mother would be more than willing" 

Fearing being out of control, having no say in what happened to her body, she resignedly complied and took his arm. 

Walking down the dark hall, they entered into a giant ballroom that shouldn't have been able to exist there. It had to have been built by magic. The walls high pillars of stone, cathedral ceilings and tables full of men and women in their finest clothes. 

The Mesmers floating around the ceilings effortlessly in their hoops of silver, long wavy hair clinging gracefully to their bodies. Everything similar to that night in Prague. Eerie and hazy. Bewitching the patrons into believing whatever they were told. 

Rage flooded her veins. There were children downstairs starving and upstairs people were tossing money and food as if there wasn't a care in the world. The injustice made her blood boil. 

Marching her up the center aisle, the whispers started. She knew to keep her mouth shut. This wasn't the right time to try and escape. But tonight it would happen, she just knew it. 

"Welcome dear patrons. Magical blood is the most important thing in this world and we need to keep it healthy and pure. 

Tonight we will give you a special privilege this evening of watching and participating in the instillation of magical civility before you place bids on your preferred Squib" Amalhe spoke with a thick voice, emotion covering her motives. 

Her heart stopped. Bidding? They were selling the children to the highest bidder? And now, her? But why would anyone want to buy a Squib? Slavery? Entertainment? 

Grace glanced around the room frantically, working to remember every single damn face in that audience. She would show the memory to Severus when he found her. But that still left the issue, she couldn't perform spells. She had no magical ability. 

Quickly, Amalhe grabbed her arm, and made an incision in Grace's forearm with the spare wand that she and Jean-Luc seemed to be sharing, skin opening and blood flowing into a cyclone above them. Grace watched in horror as her blood swirled with some kind of spell, re-entering her body just as quickly as it left. 

The crowd gasped and watched transfixed while Amalhe chanted "purem sangre" 

"This is blood cleansing spell. Squib blood is impure, and our special charm pulls out those impurities which impede magical ability" Jean-Luc informed the crowd 

Collection plates appeared and floated to the tables and coins flowed into them out of the pockets and purses. 

"Bidding to perform breakdown spells on Grace? Let the bidding begin at 500 galleons" Amalhe announced, levitating Grace high in the air for the room to get a better view. 

——————-  
Severus 

They apparated using the necklace portkey. He and his former students stood dumbfounded as they gazed around at an empty field. Nothing. He felt his soul drop like a lead balloon. No. This couldn't happen. She had to be here. The necklace was a direct link. 

"Sir..." Hermione whispered, terrified to speak aloud what they all were thinking 

"Maybe it's a trick. Maybe they're here, we just can't see it. Like an invisibility shield?" Harry offered helpfully, wand at the ready 

Severus yelled in frustration. He needed to make sure she was safe. He needed to find Grace. Weeks of searching in vain, following those damn palm leaves. Finally he gave in and asked for help, which he should have done in the first place. They could have covered the house in invisibility shields, but the disarming spells weren't working. They had to be using dark magic to keep them in place. 

"She has to be here. There is old magic in that necklace" he dug in his heels, stalking around, incanting various revealing charms 

Suddenly, the sound of a window smashing brought their attention to a section of field a few hundred yards away. A rock thrown by child sized hands reached out the window, as if out of thin air. 

As they reached the area where the house was, the shields dropped, exposing a grand Victorian style home. 

They barreled over to the window to help out the teenager with matted blonde hair. 

"Are you Grace's friends? She said you would come but I didn't believe her" asked the child, voice trembling 

"Yes we are. How many of you are there?" asked Hermione quickly, trying to assess the situation. 

"Six. They took Grace to the ballroom, it's in the back of the house...They're hurting her" she divulged quickly 

Severus quickly removed all the protection wards from the front door now that the strongest one had lifted and they slipped inside, wands drawn, only to find the main room empty. 

"The rest of us are downstairs. They've got tons of people in the ballroom. They're hurting her. They pay money to hurt Squibs for sport and then Jean-Luc and Amalhe say they use the bodies for magical research" the teenager rushed out, bouncing back and forth on her feet as they all looked around at each other 

"I'm calling for Auror back up" Harry stated, and Severus nodded his approval especially if there was a room full of high powered magical officials. 

"I'll go with you to watch over the other kids" Hermione told the teenager

"No! I want to fight. They have my friend and they need to be caught" she fought back, fists clenched in frustration 

"Okay, we will figure something out" Hermione soothed her, smiling at her fight, motioning for the others to go ahead. 

Within minutes, nine Aurors plus Kingsley Shacklebolt had arrived. His eyes landed on Severus, widening in disbelief 

"Well I'll be damned. We should discuss your...existence after this little debacle Severus. Is it true, we have the Laurent-Botha crime ring here? In the act?" 

"Yes and they are possibly killing someone right now. We need to set up a perimeter so they don't all disapparate before we can get them. Do not hurt Grace, she is a Squib. And my good friend. I have Amalhe Botha's wand in my possession for the inevitable trial" Severus advised them all, looking to Harry for backup as Kingsley raised an eyebrow at being given orders by a presumed dead convict. 

"You heard him. Let's set up the guards now" Harry agreed, making quick work of the protections. 

Heart racing, Severus prepared himself for what was about to happen. Even if Grace was safe and secure, he would have to go before the Wizengamot. He would be put in jail for Albus' murder. And then he wouldn't see Grace again. She wouldn't be able to make it to a Wizard jail. He would save her just to lose her. But he had to try, she deserved a good life. 

They swung the doors open to to find her levitating on the stage, half naked, a group of three surrounded her, each shooting a different spell as she covered her body, desperate not to let them see her fear or humiliation. 

"Moenibus signa!" over a dozen Aurors, wizards and witches sealed the room. 

Dozens of immobilizing spells kept the fifty or so guests under control. Jean-Luc pulled Amalhe close as the group of them charged toward the front of the hall. Grace dropped to the ground with a thud and a squeak. He held back a growl and the urge to charge and pick her up and pull her into his arms. 

Amalhe drug Grace up to her feet with a wand to her head. Her hair was knotted, face streaked with dirt, curvy frame gaunt. He held back his rage and instinct to take care of them in that instant. But three murder charges would be harder to rebound from. 

Amalhe and Jean-Luc held Grace tightly, taking in the situation. 

"Harry Potter. What a pleasure" Amalhe mocked, her thin fingers digging the wand into Grace's temple 

"The ministry has been looking for you all for sometime" Harry told them flatly, trying to decide the best route to take 

"They've got six Squib children downstairs. Don't worry about me" Grace yelled, stomping on the floor 

"The world doesn't miss them; we're doing our world a favor by disposing of them" Jean-Luc boasted, backing them further away from the four wand wielding intruders, slowly being encased by the other Aurors. 

Severus gripped his wand. What he wouldn't give to toss out a few unforgivable curses right now. 

"We've got legions of followers, all the way up into the ministries of the world who agree. You can take us but there will always be more. We won't be stopped until we help rid the world of Squib filth" Amalhe answered confidently, sending a silent Cruciatus curse into Grace's body 

She screamed, the electric current tearing through her body, last bit of self control dropping. Severus leaped forward as her body convulsed, still being held up as a shield to protect the two criminals. 

"Stop it! She hasn't done anything" Ron yelled out surprisingly, his wand steady and pointed at them 

"Shut up, blood traitor. You would stick up for a Squib, Weasley vermin. Your brother Percy, however, seemed pretty keen to donate to our...studies" Jean-Luc sneered, knowing exactly which button to press 

Grace stood up, her face pale. Staring at Severus, eyes locked, he listened to her choppy words as the standoff intensified 

"Get the kids. Don't worry about me. Save them" 

His heart wrenched at the all too familiar scene. Harry's shoulders tightened. He remembered it too. Looking back at his former professor, the two knew that they had to come up with a better solution this time. No more death. 

Suddenly from around the corner, behind Amalhe and Jean-Luc, three teenagers catapulted themselves into the room with what appeared to be pans from the kitchen. Surprised at the sudden noise the two dropped Grace's arms and she dropped to the floor. 

Harry yelled "expelliarmus!" and the wand flew from Amalhe's hand right before the eldest girl with the stringy hair brought a cast iron skillet on her head. 

Jean-Luc tried to run, but the younger girl stuck out a skinny leg with the torn leggings, causing him to tumble off the platform and the curly haired boy used a heavy stock pot to stun him unconscious. 

Hermione and Severus shouted "Immobulus!" 

The two were immediately frozen in place. Severus placed a protective spell around them, bubble forming so the two couldn't apparate. Kingsley immediately apprehended the two of them, securing the wand on the ground. 

Severus ran to his best friend, her body laying in a heap on the floor, hands over her head in defense. He pulled off his cloak, covering her body and pulled her into his arms as he sat on the floor. He held her tightly, his body relaxing for just a moment as he savored her safety. Ignoring the awkward stares and shuffling of everyone around him, he tilted her chin up so he could look in her eyes. A stream of blood spilled from a deep gash in her head, skull to temple. 

"Took you long enough. Might as well have done it myself" she whispered sarcastically, the tears threatening to spill over, burying her face in his chest, thin frame gripping him tightly. 

"Hush. I don't want to have to leave you here. I've just got you back" he managed to tease, voice cracking as he wrapped his arms around waist, noticing the sharp contrast of her bones poking out of her skin. 

"Severus, you know what has to happen now" Kingsley murmured, voice soft with regret

—————————  
Grace

She looked up at the tall man standing behind Severus. He held his hand out, as if beckoning her friend. Hermione and the three teenagers looked as if they might cry. 

"No! You can't take him! If it weren't for me and him you would never have found them!" she screamed, tearing herself away from Severus' warm embrace, wiping the blood out of her eye as she squared up in front of the unknown man. 

"I'm the minister of magic young lady. Kingsley Shacklebolt. I don't want to take him but I have to. He needs to stand in front of the Wizengamot" Kingsley told her almost apologetically 

"You better take me too. Because I'm not leaving here without him. I don't care who you are, you're not taking him alone. I'll stand before whatever trial and jury you want me to" she demanded, locking her arms around Severus, back to his stomach as a shield. 

Severus' arms gripped hers tightly in return, he wanted her too. 

"Is this really necessary? They don't want credit. They just want to live away from everything" Harry asked, voice tired and upset 

"We'll take them both for questioning. We have a lot to account for these last several years" Kingsley told him, looking at the presumed dead potions master, and group of bloodied and battered Squibs before continuing 

"We need to know how and why we got here..."


	22. The Wizengamot

"I came as soon as I got the summons. Oh dear, they couldn't clean you up? This is a disgrace!" Minerva fumed as she walked into the small room that they were holding Grace in at the ministry. 

She shrugged her shoulders. At least Severus had been allowed to fix her head laceration. When they got to the ministry, she had a meltdown because the officials separated them. Swearing and screaming, she had to be torn off of him because she didn't trust them. Didn't trust that they wouldn't hurt him and do him dirty. She didn't know these officials and from what she heard from Severus and Hermione they were still finding out who was bad and who was good. 

"Grace? Severus is fine. He's in the room beside you. It's only been two days" Minerva told her softly, placing a hand on her shoulder 

She flinched, regressing to her days as a traumatized young adult. No good touches. 

"I'm so sorry. We won't let Severus get hurt...Are you worried about him?" Minerva questioned, sitting down beside her, smoothing her skirt. 

Of course she was terrified that he would get sent to wizard prison. That she would never get to see him again. Never get to have him at her house again, never tell him she loved him so very deeply...The tears welled up and she started sobbing. 

Minerva pulled her into a hug, magically washing her face and cleansing her body with a quick spell. She immediately felt better, her clothes fitted and clean, hair free of grime.

"Am I in trouble?" she asked cautiously, looking into Minerva's concerned eyes 

"No. They just want to know who you are and what happened. Tell them everything" Minerva tried to convince her 

"They're going to put Severus in jail for something he had no choice in. He had to kill his friend. To save Harry. He was manipulated for years and for what payout?! It's not fair!" she yelled, clenching her fists and before Minerva could interject she went on 

"And where are the kids? Ruth, Seamus, Anna? Marie, Tae, and Kyle?" 

She missed them. Needed to know that they were safe. That they wouldn't get hurt anymore. 

"Serena Barrett is currently healing them. We have set up wizarding families to take care of them while they go to Muggle schools. They absolutely can't go back to their families, trying to sell children to complete strangers, willing to let them die..." Minerva told her, flushing angrily. 

Serena. A rush of hope fluttered into her soul. She would know how to help. What to say. She could help keep Severus safe. 

"Is Serena here? Did she get to see Severus? Can I see her?" Grace asked rapidly 

"She isn't allowed to see either of you yet. The Wizengamot doesn't want to possibly compromise your memories. She's here to testify for you both as is some man named...Josip?" she told her carefully, not knowing what kind of reaction this news would get. 

Before she could respond the door opened and the guard told them it was time for the trial to begin. Two consecutive trials in a row. Her parents first, then Severus.

Minerva held her arm in hers, head held high, tapping Grace's chin up with her finger and giving her a small smile. It would be okay. It had to be. 

A small wooden stand in front of dozens of aged witches and wizards sat empty. Minerva walked her over to it, taking her seat directly behind her. Grace looked around, for any familiar face. 

Seated in a row across from her were Hermione, Ron, Harry, Serena, and Severus. Heart leaping at the sight of him, he gave her a small nod of encouragement. Serena took in an exaggerated breath, releasing it slowly. 

Remember to breathe. 

An elder wizard silenced the room and asked in a warbled voice

"I am Chief Warlock Bridges. Your name for the record please?" 

"Grace Jennings" she answered slowly, overwhelmed at the stares, as if she were a puppy in a cage 

"That is your Muggle name. What is the name that your parents gave you at your birth?" he asked in more detail 

"Aelin Laurent-Botha" she replied, looking down at the ground in shame. 

She didn't want to be associated with them in any manner. 

"Is it true, that you had no memory or knowledge of your parents until just months ago? You were raised as a Muggle since you had proven to your parents to be a Squib?" he questioned in his English drawl 

"Yes" 

"What were you told about your parents and by whom?" he asked, everyone shifting curiously 

"Umm...I was told by my friend Severus Snape that they were magical and that I was born with no magic. That was why he could tell me about this world. Then, I met Minerva McGonagall, who offered her home when Serena Barrett used her magical abilities to recover my memories which had been hidden by magic..." she began, stopping to see if this was too much information at once. 

"When did you meet Severus Snape?" he questioned sternly 

"Over a year ago when he moved into the house beside mine" she said shortly, not wanting to give anything away that he might not want disclosed 

"You were not aware of his status as a missing person, or war criminal?" the old wizard went on 

"Of course not because I didn't know this world even existed. I was raised, as what, a Muggle. Magic isn't real to them" she answered defensively, feeling the back of the stand quiver as Minerva tapped it inconspicuously with her foot 

Chill. 

"Very well. You went in search of your parents? With the help of Severus Snape, Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, Healer Professor Serena Barrett, ministry worker Hermione Granger, and one specified gentleman Josip Babic?" he confirmed 

"Yes" 

"Why?" he looked over his spectacles, no judgment 

"I didn't know who I was. Then, a whole world opened up to me. I needed to find out where I was from. Even though it turns out, I don't want to ever be in that place again" she answered honestly, voice cracking

"Are you aware that your parents are criminals? Wanted for the hate crimes of buying, selling, and murdering of Squib children?" he asked carefully as everyone squirmed uncomfortably 

"No. The memories I had of them didn't include that. I think it's disgusting what they do and hope they get in a lot of trouble" she divulged, making eye contact with several people 

"I call forth Healer Professor Serena Barrett" Bridges announced as Serena gracefully stepped down and made her way to sit beside Grace on the bench. 

"State your name and occupation" 

"Serena Barrett. Empath Healer and Charms Mistress of the highest degree. I am employed by Ilvermorny School" she answered confidently, voice melodic and deep. 

Grace watched as nearly everyone within twenty feet of them visibly relaxed. She was scary with her magic. Luckily she had a good soul. 

"Describe why you were called to assist Miss Jennings" Bridges commanded, settling into his chair with a squeak 

"Minerva McGonagall reached me by owl because she heard of my success healing dark magic and curses with empath energy healing. My studies are published and well respected in the Healers of the World diagnostic manual. The Aurors department is able to vouch for my abilities as well. 

I met with Grace over several weeks. I uncovered a dozen layers of dark magic which had effectively stopped memories of her life to form prior to being found by Muggles. The memories are contained in a Pensieve and are able to be viewed with Miss Jennings permission should the court warrant that. 

She had no idea where she came from or who her family was. She was being placed in danger simply by being ignorant of her relations" Serena spoke calmly yet assuredly, taking the time to look at each witch and wizard. 

Her hand never left Grace's knee; her muscles relaxed and mind growing more at peace as the time went on. She heard a faint voice in her head which caused her to straighten her shoulders and sit up taller 

"You are doing great. Hold it together for Severus. He's watching you." 

"And it is your sworn testimony that Grace had no idea of her relations? No reason to find them and continue on this brutal massacre and exploitation of over thirty Squib children over the course of thirty years? Warlock Bridges asked, eyes piercing the two of them

"Or course not sir. Grace had no intention of doing that. I swear to it under penalty of Veritaserum" Serena offered, and the crowd gasped in disbelief. 

"Thank you Healer Professor Barrett. You may step down. The court calls Ruth Rousseau to the stand" 

Grace watched as Ruth carefully walked across the court, eyes downcast. Sitting beside her, Grace put her arms around her shoulders to comfort the child, so small in oversized borrowed clothes. 

"Ruth Rousseau, you are the Squib daughter of Charles and Regina Rousseau, Canadian ambassadors to the Magistrate. Is that true?" Bridges asked concernedly 

"Yes sir" Ruth spoke up, voice shaky, her thin fingers tapping the wooden booth 

"You were taken captive by Laurent and Botha? When and how?" he asked her carefully, eyes a light with compassion 

"Two years ago, roughly. My parents became obsessed with my magical abilities...Or lack of. They became radicalized with the notion of pure blood wizardry and how that would be the solution of never having a Squib child born again. They gave me to those two evil sadists, Jean-Luc and Amalhe. For two years they tortured me, let others torture me for money, and performed experiments on me in the name of making me magical. 

I was kept alive for whatever reason, but I can give you the names of two others who they killed in front of me. The six of us were ready to be sold when they captured Grace. She helped us escape. 

So did Mr. Snape and the others. Otherwise, we may be dead or enslaved right now" Ruth spoke strongly and clearly at this point, showing the scars on her arms and stomach. 

"The court is saddened to hear of your mistreatment. We will place you with a trusted wizarding family. Your parents will face an inquiry with the Canadian High Courts" Bridges promised her, all heads nodding. 

Next, all other five children were brought in and recounted the horror stories of what Amalhe and Jean-Luc had done to them in hopes of blood purity. The crowd appeared sick, and Grace knew they had no chance of being found innocent. 

Good. Murderers. They didn't deserve to see the light of day ever again. 

"Auror Potter, please approach and recount the happenings of the last few days and how you came to apprehend Laurent and Botha" Bridges called out. 

Harry walked over beside her, sitting down easily as if this was just another day at the office. 

"I was having dinner with my friends, ministry worker Granger and Auror Weasley. When our Potions professor, Severus Snape suddenly apparated. I couldn't believe he was alive, even though I had reason to. He has been wanted for war accolades. 

He said he needed help finding his friend Grace. She was kidnapped by her parents Laurent and Botha. The case against them is massive yet it is like grasping at smoke. One of those cases that is so difficult it is almost like folk lore. 

Grace had a box full of memorabilia from her family, one item was a necklace with an exact mate. It was a portkey. She had the mate on her person and had left the other with Miss Granger when they met previously. Grace had no idea what item she held in her possession. 

We apparated without question, on Professor Snape's word that she was in trouble. It was time that we helped him save someone. The house was covered in an invisibility shield. One of the children smashed the window with a rock and we were able to take down the wards. 

I called for Auror backup. We made our way to a grand ballroom in the house and saw several people including Laurent and Botha torturing Grace. She was in the air, at least two Unforgivable curses being used on her at the time. Laurent and Botha attempted to escape but were hit on the head by some of the children and we were able to secure them. 

I have no doubt that we would still be searching for them if it wasn't for the work of Severus Snape, Headmistress McGonagall and Grace. They should be accommodated as such" Harry told him confidently, looking at her with his forest green eyes, smiling kindly. 

"Very well. Thank you Mr. Potter. As such, Jean-Luc Laurent and Amalhe Botha will be brought in under magical supervision to plead their case. You may step down Miss Jennings" 

Grace all but ran to sit beside Severus. His expression was grim, but he held onto her hand none the less. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as her parents were marched into the court at wand point, shackles and chains dragging. She wanted to speak to Severus but he refused to look her way. 

After stating their names, the Warlock read off the list of thirty names of presumed dead Squib children. Then read the names of the six children found alive as well as Grace's name. 

"What is your plea and word to the tribunal?" he asked, careful to be neutral in his tone 

"No one can truly prove that we did anything. Where is your proof? Other than the word of a woman who hasn't seen us in thirty years? Than the words of some orphaned children? This is a mockery of justice" Amalhe spoke snidely, obvious in her dislike of the court 

"We shall enter into the court, testimony and evidence by one Josip Babic" a smaller witch piped up from beside the Warlock. 

Josip entered the room slowly, in chains. The room became a flutter with whispers. Warlock Bridges asked him to explain himself to the court. 

"Traitor! Blood traitor!" Jean-Luc yelled, trying to stand up in his shackles to attack as Josip passed by, but immediately zapped by a wand and held to the chair. 

Josip glared at him, and defiantly began 

"I was best friends with Jean-Luc and Amalhe since we were eighteen years old. I was named Grace's godparent. I was advised to send Grace to America when she was five years old. Because she was a Squib. Under the presumption that it wasn't safe at the time for a Squib in Europe, during the first rise of the Dark Lord. 

But then I came to truly see the point of the matter. Jean-Luc and Amalhe are eugenists. They are worse than the bigots who speak blood hierarchy. They want blood purity at any cost. 

I was involved in the scheme of transporting children at first. I didn't understand that the plan was to sell and kill them. I thought they were simply being gathered to teach them the ways of our world. I was mistaken. 

But when I found that out, I made it my life's purpose to guard Grace. The two of them wanted to find her and bring her back to be an example of what could happen if blood purity wasn't a priority. Kill her. Using the fear that magic could cease to exist within the next few generations if we continued to mingle with Muggles. 

I have brought books, plans, payments, and offer all my memories to the court in order for those two to be brought to justice" 

Josip made eye contact with Grace, who nodded at him with a smile. He hadn't deserted her; killed by the unbreakable vow. He had been recouping the receipts and evidence. Bringing in the last nail in the coffin. 

"Silence! We will resume after the evidence has been viewed" Bridges shouted as the court broke out into discussion. 

——————-

After not being allowed to leave the court, everyone sat in tense silence as the seats filled back with every witch and wizard on the jury. 

"We call for a judgment on Amalhe Botha and Jean-Luc Laurent. How does the court find these two of the supposed crimes of murder, slavery, and persecution to a minority group?" Bridges called out and the scale of justice immediately dropped to one side as if a weight had been dropped on it

"Guilty on all charges. Life in Azkaban. No contact with anyone. Solitary confinement for the rest of their days. No letters or communication of any sort. We will not tolerate this despicable attitude towards non magical persons in our new age of society. We will not allow this to perpetuate and all guilty parties will be sought to be held accountable" Warlock Bridges declared, Amalhe and Jean-Luc walked out with a gaggle of guards, never to be seen again. 

"Court will immediately resume. I call former Headmaster and Potion master Severus Snape to the stand" Warlock Bridges called out. 

She held his hand tightly, not willing to let him go. His nearly black eyes met hers as he carefully pried her fingers away and sat her hand in her lap. He walked as if meeting his executioner. Her stomach flip flopped and she forced the acid back down. 

"Severus Snape, you were the former Potions Master, headmaster, and defense against the dark arts professor at Hogwarts School, correct?" started out the older man 

"Yes" Severus answered solemnly 

"Is it true that you entered into a career at Hogwarts as part of a contract with Albus Dumbledore? You would perform duties as a spy with the former dark lord in exchange for Albus' protection of former James and Lily Potter and their son Harry Potter?" 

"Yes" 

"And in the course of your deception, Albus asked you to perform the killing curse on him, since his death was imminent?" 

"That is correct. And he did not want Draco Malfoy to have to carry out the dark lords orders of murder in retribution of Lucius' Malfoys misdeeds" Severus filled in the rest of the pact 

"You do not deny you killed Albus Dumbledore?" 

"I do not" 

"I want to remind you we do not currently have laws on mercy killings in our society" the Warlock mentioned apprehensively, sensing that Severus was walking into an easy guilty verdict 

"I am aware" Severus answered gravely, body stone still 

"How can the court be assured that you will not turn back to the dark side, seeing as how you were able to fool so many?" Bridges questioned genuinely, leaning forward in his chair 

Severus looked around at every witch and wizard, his gaze stopping to linger on Serena and then onto her. He paused for a few moments, their eyes locked. 

"I was a misguided youth. I turned my face to the side of justice when I realized how much more there was to live for outside of the darkness. I have taught young minds for upwards of twenty years. I risked my life for my students. If I could go back...I would never have joined the dark lord in the first place. But I can't change history. I can only promise that I will live a life worthy of forgiveness and do my best to repay my debt to society" Severus answered honestly, voice wracked with guilt and nervousness. 

Everyone looked at someone near them skeptically. It wasn't going to be good enough. Her stomach fell to the floor. He was going to get sentenced to jail time just like her parents. The room started to get fuzzy. Drawing in a deep breath, she felt a movement to her right. 

"May I please address the court?" Harry asked, standing up suddenly 

"That is highly unusual Mr. Potter...But I suppose a favor for you in this case is warranted" the elder warlock answered, rubbing his temple 

"Professor Snape did nothing but try and save me. Protect me. And teach me. I fought him at every turn. In every lesson, he was thinking ahead to prepare me. He taught me defensive spells because he didn't want me to have to harm anyone. He gave me clues to what was going to happen and how to prepare. He watched out for all of us. He did that out of love. 

He may have killed Dumbledore but that was better than Voldemort doing it. I was there that night. Snape didn't want to do it. He hesitated. Lowered his wand. Dumbledore asked him to spare his life of further pain...I think the charges should be dropped and only his war accommodations be given" Harry concluded his speech much to the whispering flying around the room 

"Good boy" Serena whispered, giving Grace's hand a squeeze, smiling as the heads popped up around the room 

"I...I don't know. I suppose..." Bridges stuttered before Hermione and Ron stood up 

"May we speak too?" 

"Are you going to vouch for only the accommodations as well?" he asked tiredly

"Everything Harry said is true. And then some. But proof of a changed man is Professor Snape living away from the spectacles of life after the war. He didn't seek reward for his actions. He conducted business quietly and privately. He made friends with a neighbor. And when he found out she was in danger, he risked his own life again to help her. A woman of no magical standing. If he were still a part of the death eaters, he wouldn't have done that. 

He came out of hiding, risking jail time and his own life to help his friend find out the truth about her family. He is capable of love. That is obvious. He isn't evil. He is a good man who doesn't deserve to be put through any more trouble" Hermione spoke passionately, making sure to speak directly to Severus, his face shocked and confused. 

"Thank you Ms. Granger. It is against my personal judgment to ask this, but I will leave it up to the court: is it in the best interest of the defendant, Severus Snape, to have all charges dropped?" 

All eyes turned to the scales. Slowly, the weight tilted down to the side and stayed. 

Charges dropped. 

Grace gasped, jumping up excitedly, tossing herself into the circle of the trio, hugging them. They helped set Severus free. The debt repaid. A life free now from the weight of expectation and guilt. 

She turned to Serena, throwing her arms around the other woman who held her tightly, whispering in her ear

"We get so very few chances at love. Go take it" 

Grace knew it was time. Time to begin again. Heal from the past and make a new life. A life lived not in solitude but in tandem with her best friend. 

Ignoring any sense of decorum, she raced to meet him as he walked over, throwing herself into his embrace. He held her tightly, nestling his face into her neck, breathing out a deep sigh of relief, strong arms wrapped around her back. He pulled back, eyes alight with mischief as he brushed the hair out of her face, rough hands lingering on her cheek.

Without stopping to think, ignoring the stares, she leaned up on her tip toes, placing her lips over his, hands gripping his cloak in nervousness. Oh so gently, he formed his lips to hers, simple and cautious. The depth reserved for later. 

"You know you only got out of that because of your good looks, right?" she whispered in his ear after they separated, his chest rumbling with laughter, something she had been missing for weeks. 

"I love you Grace" he spoke up, cheeks flushing at the admission, breath escaping his lungs as if being chased, a bright smile warming up his pale face

"I love you too Severus...Very much. Let's go home" she replied, the wave of gratitude and desire rolling up into her chest like a tidal wave. 

Back to a home that would be all their own.


	23. New Life Together

"Wilfred! God damn it! Get back here you adorable son of a bitch!" Grace shrieked as the grey bundle of fur zoomed past her, out the recently constructed dog door at their new home, with a pair of her underwear in his mouth. 

She shut her computer, grateful for the break. It had been several months since she returned from her journey with Severus and although no one at work questioned her near eight week hiatus, she felt the need to lie and tell them that she had a family emergency take place that required some privacy. They wouldn't believe her even if she could say what happened. 

Despite the danger being gone after the trial, neither felt safe or comfortable living in their old homes. She only went to her house to get her clothes and then camped out with Severus for weeks. There wasn't a formal discussion about moving in together, it was just a logical next step. 

Their new home was a Victorian style brick in a lush wooded area full of hidden in plain sight witches and wizards outside of Salem, Massachusetts. Severus travelled to his new apothecary everyday in the late morning, opening shop for the magical enclave that surrounded them. He also happily brewed a significant portion of the potions for St. Brutus, the local wizarding hospital. 

Her monthly trips to New York City made incredibly easy by Severus and his skill of apparition. She may not have been able to do magic herself but she still got to enjoy all of its benefits. 

A grey and white owl fluttered down on the way too big owl house that she built for them with a piece of parchment tied to its leg. Severus took the Potion orders by owl and there were at least twenty different owls a day that needed rest and food. She had come to love them and doted on them as much as she did Wilfred. 

Uncurling the note, she recognized Ruth's choppy scrawl, sending her a letter from where she lived with a wizarding family in Scotland while attending a Muggle school. Christmas break was coming and Grace was looking forward to having her spend the month with them. 

Her boots crunched over the hard snow to the green house where Wilfred inevitably ran off to; his favorite spot underneath Severus' feet.

The green house in the backyard where Severus grew plants for his potions was massive, housing over a thousand different varieties of plants, each section a different ideal temperature by magic. She enjoyed helping him harvest each morning before work; the sun barely awake yet, the world quiet as they worked silently side by side. 

"Missing something?" came his rich baritone, as he held up her navy underwear, slim body clothed in dark jeans and a grey turtleneck. 

"Maybe it was a gift" she teased, taking them back but offering him a quick kiss as an offering

He smiled, wrapping her in his arms, smelling of earth and mint. She instantly relaxed against him, the hard plate of his chest bone familiar against her cheek. Hugs were common place now, not awkward. His stoic demeanor had given way to being warm and inviting. 

Everyday began with the reassurance that he was still there, sleeping with his long legs splayed out across hers, arm slung across her back. Both of them struggled often with nightmares, only to relax once awakened to find the other safe and sound in bed. 

Sliding her hands up his well muscled back, she twirled her fingers into his hair which had been gathered into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. Clearing a space with his wand on the long table, he lifted her easily, stepping into the space between her legs and began kissing her lips, slow and deliberate. 

She accepted his kisses, no longer flinching at his touch, trusting him not to hurt her. His body open to her, an invitation for exploration. When they returned from the Wizengamot, she refused to let him out of her sight for weeks, something she thought he would find annoying but if he did he didn't show it. Perhaps he didn't want to let her get away either. 

Affection had been a difficult thing for her to learn to express as well as for Severus. The beginning of their physical relationship involved lots of nervous laughter, clammy hands, shaky legs, and enough sarcasm to sink a ship.

Finally, one night after a thorough verbal sparring, sarcasm, and sharp witted remarks as a form of foreplay, they made love cautiously and timidly. 

"Am I distracting you" she teased as he kissed her neck, hands slipped under her blouse onto her soft stomach 

"Yes, but I'm enjoying it" he answered back with a smile, brushing her hair back out of her face with the gentle ease of a kind lover 

"Are we going to talk or..." she raised her eyebrow, sneaky grin lighting up her face 

He laughed, touching his lips to hers, holding her body close, exploring the familiar territory as if it were new, balancing her weight against him as he loved her. 

Catching her breath, she held him tightly, the strong pulse of his heart a welcome sound.

"Temptress. How am I ever going to get any work done?" he teased, kissing her forehead as she stood up on the ground, dirt crunching under her shoes 

"Forgive me. I guess I just love you" she smirked, the smell of several potions brewing at once lingering in her nose.

Restorative. Bug repellant. Sleeping draught. She was getting better at identifying them by smell only. 

"I love you too" he laughed, kissing her cheek before turning back to his work. 

Life may be strange but it was their kind of strange and they had worked for and deserved every last scrap of happiness that they could get.


End file.
